Stay (Sequel to Crossed Paths)
by Quakey
Summary: As Fate tries to focus on her relationship with Destiny, crazier things start happening. Fate and Ethan find some people who they've been searching for, new members of the family join, including some of the old? Unfortunately, behind them comes more emotion then Fate has ever felt before. But with Fairy Tail standing behind her, she doesn't feel the need to be scared. "Stay, okay?"
1. Author's Note

**A/N: (Sorry...)**

 **Welcome to "Stay"! If you came from the first story, "Crossed Paths", then welcome!**

 **If you have not read the first book, then please do! I know it probably really sucks to have to go back and forth, but it'll be worth it in the long run!**

 **Thank you for sticking around, or looking at this out of curiosity!**

 **Please enjoy~!**


	2. Prologue

"Welcome back to our normal morning ritual!" Ethan greeted.

Fate giggled at her partner's greeting, seeing that he was helping Namine with breakfast.

"It's only been about 2 days, hasn't it?" Fate asked.

"Oh, well, I missed it." Ethan replied.

"I call not it on carrying the egg to the guild." Akina stated.

"Not it!" Namine yelled.

"Not it!" Lucy yelled, entering the kitchen.

"I'm not allowed to push myself, Mira said so." Fate said.

"Oh, come on guys..." Ethan sighed.

Fate smiled apologetically at her partner before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a chin resting on one of her shoulders. She rested her head on the head of the certain green Exceed who was embracing her before he let go.

"Good morning." Destiny greeted everyone.

"Good morning, sleep well?" Namine asked.

"Definitely."

Fate almost sighed in relief that no one had seen her and Destiny embracing like that, but Akina ruined it.

"You 2 are certainly being all lovey-dovey this morning." Akina stated. Apparently, she had seen.

"Dunno whatcha' mean, Ms. Blake." Destiny seemed to joke.

"Oh, right. Fate, I forgot my hat in our room, would you mind going to get it for me?" Ethan asked, saving the both of them.

"I don't mind." Fate replied, running off quickly.

"I'll go with you." Destiny offered, not waiting for a response to follow her.

* * *

"Do we tell them or...?"

Fate ignored Destiny's question as she looked for Ethan's hat. When she found it, she grabbed it and then walked over to Destiny, who was waiting by the door.

"Can you do me a favour...?" Fate asked.

Destiny nodded, and then Fate rested her head on his chest.

"Don't get me wrong; I really, _**really**_ like you. But I want to, I guess, just... not throw our relationship out there...?" Fate questioned her own words.

"Like, keep it a secret?" Destiny asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yah, sort of. I mean like..." Fate sighed. "Yah, let's just stick with what you said."

Destiny chuckled, and then he kissed her cheek before she pulled away, both of them making eye contact.

"It's okay, I understand. I've been in Fairy Tail long enough to know that if everyone found out about a relationship, they'd be like those annoying relatives who never stop asking questions." Destiny said. Fate giggled, and then she nodded.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

After a couple more seconds of eye contact and a quick kiss, the 2 of them headed back to the kitchen.


	3. Abygale Seo: You're what?

Fate yawned. It was getting a little ridiculous of how tired she could be, even just after noon, and it made her sigh. Fate was sitting with her back to the egg, her bag to her left and her notebook in her lap. She twirled her pencil, as she was stuck on the song she was writing. She started tapping her pencil against the book in a rhythm and started humming "Little Game" out of boredom.

"Bored?"

Fate looked up and instantly smiled upon seeing Destiny. He sat down beside her and she shifted so he could have an arm around her without it looking like he was trying.

"Yes, and stuck as well." Fate replied.

"Anything I can help with?" Destiny asked.

"I don't know, are you a music kind of guy?"

"I don't know."

They smiled at each other before Fate sighed, looking down.

"What's wrong?" Destiny asked, rubbing her arm comfortingly.

"It's just so peaceful... almost like nothing happened, and I want to move on like everyone else, but... I can't forget about Jonah..." Fate replied.

"Fate, it wasn't your fault."

"But it was. I dared that excuse of an Exceed to shoot me."

Destiny pulled Fate into a tight hug, and she couldn't help but relax, even if she was upset.

"I don't think I'll ever forget what happened to you on Tenroujima, but I know that who hurt you wasn't Aaron." Destiny said softly.

Fate sighed, gently kissing Destiny's jaw.

"I hate how you can just calm me down like this..." Fate mumbled. Destiny smiled and they pulled away from each other. "What happened to the others, by the way?"

"They all went on separate jobs, and Ethan doesn't want you pushing yourself. So he asked me to stay behind with you." Destiny replied.

"I see..." Fate sighed.

Suddenly, they heard a crack and they both whirled around to see that the egg was shaking and that it had cracked at the top. They quickly got up, Fate dropping her things at their feet.

* * *

" _~Play us like pawns and relentlessly confine,_ _  
_ _Into living up to gender roles and having absent minds_ _  
_ _Don't you think it's funny how they tell us how to live?_ _  
_ _Don't you think it's funny how we're all delinquent kids?_ _  
_ _Like, hush now, don't say, don't say_ _  
_ _Hush boy, oh hush boy, don't say a word_ _  
_ _Throw on a jersey and no one gets hurt_ _  
_ _Hush girl, oh hush girl, just bat your eyes_ _  
_ _Play our little game, play our little game.~"_

 _"Singing again?"_

 _"Of course... only for Di—"_

* * *

The egg hatched, revealing a small, female lilac purple Exceed. She opened her eyes, revealing them to be azure blue, before she started rubbing one of them with one of her small paws.

Fate acted quickly as she removed her flannel shirt and swung it over the little girls' shoulders before helping her into it and then buttoning it up. The little Exceed looked down at it before holding her arms up, looking up at Fate. The sleeves were too long, so Fate rolled them up.

The Exceed dropped her hands, but continued look at Fate, who continued to look back before the small Exceed rubbed her eyes again.

"Oh, it hatched!?" Mira asked from behind the bar, quickly running over.

Everyone who was left in the guild gathered around to see.

"She's so adorable!" Mira exclaimed. "Did you 2 happen to think of a name?"

Fate and Destiny looked at each other before they spoke a first and last name.

"Abygale—"  
"—Seo."

They laughed at each other.

"That sounds like a fitting name." Cana complimented.

They all watched as Abygale stopped rubbing her eyes, still looking tired, and watched as she crawled the foot over to Fate, collapsing in her lap. Fate was a little surprised, but she smiled and started to rub Abygale's back.

"Alright then, Abygale."

* * *

"Aw man! You mean it hatched and we totally missed it!?" Ethan asked.

"It was your loss." Mira replied as she walked past the group that had just got back.

"So what did you name her!?" Natsu asked enthusiastically.

Fate had a hand on the small Exceed's arm, because she had been rubbing it while the little one was falling asleep, and the little one was still asleep.

"Abygale Seo." Destiny replied.

"Where did you guys come up with that?" Rory asked.

"I chose the first name. I kind of just stuck my older siblings' first names together and it came out well. Fate picked the last name." Destiny replied.

"Seo means Tail in Japanese." Fate stated.

"Oh, I see."

"It's a cute name." Ruri complimented.

"Thank you." Fate said, trying to make sure that all the talking wasn't waking Abygale up.

"Looks like we have a new member of the family, hmm?"

They all looked up, or turned around, to see Makarov.

"Oh, Master, you're back!" Mira exclaimed.

"So the mark was a birthmark?" Makarov asked.

Fate noticed the strange mark that had been on Abygale's egg happened to be on the back of Abygale's right hand.

"I didn't even notice." Fate replied.

Makarov was silent for a moment.

"Well, it's nice to have another new member."

* * *

"Thank you for this..." Fate sighed, feeling a bit bad.

"It's no problem. Abygale can't wear your flannel shirt forever." Ruri said, going through a drawer of clothes. "I have a lot of old outfits, so Abygale can come pick some."

Fate patted Abygale on the back gently before leading the small Exceed over to the pile of clothes that Ruri had set aside.

"They might be a little big, but you'll grow into them." Ruri said.

Abygale stared at the pile for a second before sitting down and starting to look through it.

* * *

"Oh my god, she looks so adorable!" Ruri basically squealed as Fate smiled down at Abygale, her flannel shirt having been returned to her.

Abygale was wearing a black and white striped quarter-sleeved shirt and a pair of short overalls. She seemed to like the outfit, but seemed a bit sad that she had to give Fate's flannel shirt back.

"You look good, Abygale." Fate complimented, patting the younger girl's head.

Abygale seemed to blush a bit.

* * *

"That's a good question, where is Abygale gonna sleep?" Adam asked.

The whole group was hanging out in Lucy's living room, and currently Chilled was chasing Abygale around to get her tired. Plus, she had his flannel shirt on her like a cape, and Chilled wanted it back.

Upon hearing the question, Abygale spoke for the first time.

"With Fate!" She replied, continuing to run from Chilled.

"Well, the kid has spoken." Renee stated, everyone laughing.

Chilled groaned, falling to his knees and then turning onto his back, out of breath.

"Oh, come on, ChillyWilly! Don't give up now!" Minx teased.

"But I can't do anymore!" Chilled complained.

Abygale stopped running, walking back to where Chilled was and threw the flannel shirts hood over her head, lifting up her arms.

"Boo!"

Chilled sighed.

"It's not even summer yet..." He whined.

Abygale removed the flannel shirt, throwing it over Chilled's face.

"Rest in peace."

Minx suddenly bursted out laughing.

"Oh my god, I love this kid already!" She laughed.

"Thanks, Abygale." Chilled thanked, sitting up and putting his flannel shirt back on. He patted her head and she smiled at him.

"It's late, and since we know where Abygale is sleeping, we should go to bed." Akina said.

"Alright, see you guys in the morning." Jordan said.

"See you!"

"Abygale, come on." Fate said, holding out a hand for the younger girl. Abygale ran to her, grabbing her hand almost instantly.

* * *

Destiny jumped when he felt something in the middle of the night, but when he saw Fate he calmed down. He watched as Abygale collapsed onto his chest in tears as Fate slipped under the covers. Fate pulled a blanket over Abygale before resting her head on Destiny's chest, throwing an arm over Abygale.

"What happened?" Destiny asked, throwing an arm over Abygale as well, wrapping his other arm around Fate.

"She had a nightmare... looks like I'm passing it on." Fate replied.

"What happened in the nightmare?"

"She said that there was black figure, which it was too bright behind it to see who or what it was, but it looked like the figure was playing a guitar or something. It really scared her, but she said that she liked the song nonetheless."

They both looked down at Abygale, who was passed out.

"I know it's off subject, but did Mira tell you what the blood test was for? And did she give you some news?" Destiny asked. Fate seemed to sigh.

"I was afraid you would ask about that..." Fate mumbled. "Mira did the blood test in order to detect the presence of a hormone called **human chorionic gonadotropin**... or **HCG**."

"What's so important about that hormone?"

"I... I told you that Jackson had given me a new fear, and it was because of a certain way that he had hurt me."

"Fate, what do you mean...?"

Fate took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant."


	4. The Grand Magic Games!

_**You can break down my lights and my doors  
but I won't let you back in no more no more  
I'm sick of getting stuck in the same routine again**_

 _Someone stood straight ahead, a light behind them making them a shadow. The figure shifted from different forms as it played what looked like a guitar._

 _ **5 nights it shouldn't seem so long  
but it takes forever when you go all about it wrong  
these halls are lines with blood I can't have on my hands  
these walls they seem to call my name  
but I refuse to be another puppet in your game  
and your eyes are dead inside but tonight I leave alive**_

 _A liquid, seemingly blood, dripped off someone's hand, but they didn't seem bothered by it. They seemed... relieved._

 _ **You can break down my lights and my doors  
but I won't let you back in no more no more  
I'm sick of getting stuck in the same routine again  
Tie me up put me into a suit but I'll never ever be like you no  
I know what happened here and you can't erase your past**_

 _A pair of black glasses fell onto the ground._

 _ **Done what I can to try and hide  
but even you can tell who I really am inside  
and it's not my job to watch you I'm leaving here tonight  
but maybe one day you'll find humanity  
until then don't you dare say that we are the same**_

 _Magic rushed towards someone familiar, but it suddenly disintegrated before it could even touch them, and they were more than relieved._

 _ **You can break down my lights and my doors  
but I won't let you back in no more no more  
I'm sick of getting stuck in the same routine again  
Tie me up put me into a suit but I'll never ever be like you no  
I know what happened here and you can't erase your past**_

 _"Angels and Demons are one thing, but this...?"_

 _ **I crave the light of day  
cause I've been keeping you away  
it's driving me insane  
it's driving me insane**_

 _"Let's split up. We'll meet back here in an hour, long enough?"_

 _ **You can break down my lights and my doors  
but I won't let you back in no more no more**_

 _"You can't believe that I'm different because of this..."_

 _ **I'm sick of getting stuck in the same routine again  
Tie me up put me into a suit but I'll never ever be like you no**_

 _"It'll take her awhile for her to get used to it. Longer than all of you. There's me and... That other boy, whatever his name is."_

 _ **I know what happened here and you can't erase your past**_

 _Piercing screams rang through the building, often coming out as "No" or "Stop" or sometimes even a yell of "Please"._

 _ **Maybe one day you'll find humanity**_

* * *

"Carla, are you okay?"

Carla looked up at Namine, who had noticed her spacing out. Carla jumped a bit at the return of the sounds of the guild. She sighed and nodded.

"Yah, I just had a super weird dream last night." Carla replied.

"Whoa, that's weird. Abygale had a nightmare last night." Namine said.

"Oh, I see..."

"It was really cute to see her, Destiny and Fate all sleeping together this morning though, even if Destiny and Fate did get really flustered."

Carla nodded with a small smile. She had figured that something was going on between those 2, but mostly she was just glad that Abygale would have parental figures in her life.

'Let's hope that dream was nothing big...'

* * *

"And so... I've decided to retire. I'm going to introduce the next master to you now." Makarov announced.

"Hey Abygale, did you pull us into your dream or something?" Minx asked.

"Maybe." Abygale replied.

"Of course she didn't, Minx..." Chilled sighed.

"Are you serious!?"  
"Wait. I'm not mentally prepared yet..."  
"It ain't gonna be you!"

"The 5th Fairy Tail master..." Makarov raised his hand. "Gildarts Clive!"

But instead of Gildarts, there was Mira.

"Where's Gildarts!?" Makarov asked.

"He left a letter." Mira replied, holding out the letter to Makarov.

Makarov took the letter, opening it up and staring at it in disbelief.

 _'Master, as well as everyone in the guild... I'm sorry, but not cut out to be a "master."'_

Everyone laughed, because it was typical Gildarts.

 _'Well... I will take the opportunity to give 2 orders as the 5_ _th_ _master. The first: accept Laxus as a member of Fairy Tail.'_

Everyone was surprised, but nonetheless happy for Laxus.

"That's taking liberties!" Makarov complained.

"Old man..." Laxus mumbled.

"Isn't that great, Laxus?" Bickslow asked.

"Now the Raijinshuu is complete again!" Evergreen cheered.

"Gildarts... What a guy..." Freed was literally crying.

"If that's what the 5th master rules, we have no choice but to obey." Makarov sighed. Lisanna giggled a little bit.

 _'The second: I appoint Mr. Makarov Dreyar the 6_ _th_ _Fairy Tail master.'_

"Me again!?" Makarov asked. Everyone started to laugh again.

 _'Fairy Tail is my home. I pray that when I return, Fairy Tail will once again be Fiore's number one guild. But that's not my duty. It's yours. Master, that's your last job. To make Fairy Tail Fiore's number one guild again!'_

"My last job, you say!? Jackass! Since it's come to this, I'm not gonna let anyone else be master!" Makarov yelled.

Everyone laughed once again.

"I'll be Master 'til the day I die!"

* * *

"That Gildarts... Fiore's number one guild, he says..." Warren sighed.

"That's being way too optimistic!" Max A. Sighed.

"Oh, no, it's not. It's good to be ambitious." Erza said.

"Yeah, if this were 7 years ago..." Warren stated.

"But things are different now." Max A. said.

"Of course, there's Sabertooth..." Alzack trailed off.

"But Lamia and Pegasus too, they're powerful guilds that can't even be compared to what they were 7 years ago." Bisca explained.

"They're huge guilds!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Standing next to them, even with our main members back..." Visitar trailed off.

"The Tenrou group isn't any stronger than they were 7 years ago." Laki stated.

"There's no way to make up for the 7-year gap." Macao sighed.

"Whether we're talkin' individual magic power or the guild's overall strength, becomin' Fiore's number one guild is impossible!" Wakaba explained.

"It sounds like it'll take some time before we can get back to the way we were then." Erza sighed.

'I wonder how powerful we would all be if we did happen to have those 7 years...' Fate thought.

Romeo suddenly jumped onto a table.

"I've already waited 7 years! I don't wanna take any more time, Erza-nee!" Romeo yelled.

"Romeo!" Macao scolded.

"There's just one way to become number one in a hurry!" Romeo announced.

"Forget it! I already decided we wouldn't be participating in that!"

"What do you mean by "that", Number 4?" Makarov asked.

"Would you not call me that, Number 6?" Macao asked.

"We're gonna be in it! We're gonna! We're gonna! We're gonna!" Romeo yelled, jumping down from the table a running to his father. Macao stood up.

"No, we're not! We're not! We're not! We're not!" Macao yelled.

"Promise me that if Abygale ever hits that stage, you'll take care of it..." Ethan mumbled.

"Hey!" Fate scolded.

"I refuse to give permission!" Macao yelled. "We're never gonna take part in that again!"

"We're home..."

Most of the guild turned to see Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Carla and Happy returning from whatever they had left to do.

"Welcome back." Ruri greeted.

"Hope you don't mind a screaming child and his screaming father." Akina sighed bitterly.

"You don't have the right to decide that anymore, Dad! You're not the master!" Romeo yelled.

"I'm speaking as a member of the guild!" Macao yelled.

"What's all the fuss about?" Gray asked.

"Just looks like an argument between father and son to me..." Carla sighed. "Clothes!"

"Who doesn't wanna participate!?" Macao asked.

Everyone who didn't get stuck on Tenroujima raised their hands.

"But now we've got the Tenrou group! We've got Natsu-nii and Erza-nee! How could Fairy Tail lose!?" Romeo asked.

"But the Tenrou group's got a 7-year blank!" Warren reminded.

"I'm getting sick and tired of hearing that..." Miharu warned.

"Aren't we all...?" Minx asked.

"Well, then how about this!? We recently got 3 new recruits: Olivia, James and Cass! They're strong, right!?" Romeo asked.

"Well, I wouldn't bet my money on the 3 of us... No offence intended." Cass stated.

"None taken, because none of you know what happened to us during your Tenrou group's 7 year gap." James snapped.

"You've been salty today..." Olivia mumbled.

"Oh right... Erith got put on a 7 year lockdown for the same 7 years that we got stuck on Tenroujima." Fate remembered.

"You mean that everyone in Erith, namely the Seekers of Nothing, have a 7 year blank as well? And they're that strong?" Phil asked. Olivia nodded.

"How is that even possible...?" Adam asked.

Olivia seemed to bite her tongue for a moment before seeming to sigh, focusing her gaze on the oh-so-interesting ground.

"We caught someone powerful, and Xerum used his magic to put that person into a pretend nightmare so he'd use his magic, which boosted the magic of everyone around him..." Olivia explained.

"I doubt they're still in Erith, they had to of moved by now. They would've had to move by now anyway." James sighed.

"What's this about bein' in it or not?" Natsu asked, changing the subject a little.

"Natsu-nii, while you guys were gone, a festival started up to decide the number one guild in Fiore." Romeo replied.

"That sounds like fun!" Natsu cheered.

"All the guilds in Fiore gather and compete with each other with their magic! It's called the **Grand Magic Games**!"

" **Grand Magic Games**!?" Lucy asked.

"It sounds like fun!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Like a real festival!" Gray agreed.

"I see... Right now, the number one guild in Fiore is said to be Sabertooth, right?" Erza asked.

"That's right! If we beat Sabertooth and win the games, we'll become Fiore's number one guild!" Romeo replied.

"But... I don't know if you guys are strong enough to pull that off right now..." Makarov seemed to be deep in thought.

"That's right! Exactly!" Macao agreed.

"If we win, the guild gets 30 million jewel as a reward!" Romeo added.

"We're in it!" Makarov decided. "We'll take that crummy record and destroy it!"

"Sabertooth, huh? Sounds kinda scary..." Chilled said in a soft voice. Minx wrapped an arm around him.

"Oh, come on, Chilled! This'll be fun!" Minx exclaimed.

"I'm actually looking forward to this, it sounds really cool." Cathy said.

"When is that tournament?" Natsu asked.

"3 months from now." Romeo replied.

"Plenty of time! By then, we'll be lean and mean, and Fairy Tail will become Fiore's number one guild again!"

"Team Fairy Tail is going to enter the **Grand Magic Games**!" Makarov announced, getting everyone to cheer.


	5. Training

"It feels good to be surrounded by rocks and trees!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Why are you so excited, idiot? Get over here and help set up the tent." Akina ordered.

"Sure thing!"

Ethan ran over from his little spot and started to help, noticing that Namine had been struggling.

"It was just supposed to be you, me, Namine, Destiny and Fate. Abygale was an exception..." Akina trailed off. "So why did we get so many followers!?"

"It's not like we had anywhere else to go." Ryeluen replied.

"Sorry." Charles replied for all of them.

Ryeluen, Miharu, Charles, Hotaru, Chilled, Minx, Adam, Rory, Cathy, Ruri, Jordan, Dan, Phil, Max G., Renee (and behind them Malcolm and Zoe), Olivia, James and Cass had followed the small group into a forest near the mountains.

"Nowhere else to go!? There's a whole world out there! Even just like, 10 or 20 miles away is—"

Almost instantly, Ruri cut off Akina.

"NO!"

They all looked at her, and she suddenly seemed really secretive.

"Its nice being here together, isn't it?" Rory asked. "Plus, with this number of people, there's a huge magic range. We'll be able to help each other out."

"Whatever." Akina scoffed.

* * *

'It's funny how we're aiming to be the top guild while we're kind of in a war with the Seekers of Nothing...' Ethan thought, barely focusing on his training.

He sat in a small clearing with his legs closed, his hands on his knees and his eyes closed. He was _**trying**_ to focus on the earth, but he couldn't help but feel like being Fiore's number one guild wouldn't be too smart at the moment.

'I really wonder what the hell those sons of bitches want with Fate... what's-his-name almost killed her, and he would've if it weren't for Jonah. The stupid thing is that I know he did horrible things to her, but every time I ask she just smiles and changes the subject. Not to mention the fact that her, Destiny and Abygale have been attached by the hip. It's just so weird...'

Ethan groaned, falling onto his back and opening his eyes to look at the sky. It was a little cloudy, and the clouds didn't seem to white.

'It's gonna rain in a couple of days...'

He stared at a certain tree because it was blocking the sun, sighing.

'I can't find Terra, no matter how much I try. I want to, and I won't give up... but if everyone else can't find theirs, I'm not sure if I can find him. Then there's Takanashi and Sina... Takanashi would be 21 now, older than me because of the 7 year gap. Man, time flies when you're stuck travelling and then on an island.'

* * *

'Its funny how being alone is kind of comforting...' Fate thought, focusing on her magic.

She may have been worrying everyone, but right now they were all training as well. She suddenly got dizzy and had to stop, sitting down so she wouldn't fall over. She sighed heavily, knowing it was just a pregnancy symptom.

"You won't even let me train, you jerk..." Fate mumbled.

'And now I'm talking to something that's not even alive yet.'

Mira had suggested a couple of ways to get rid of the baby, but Fate had dismissed them all. She couldn't just take a life, and it wasn't the child's fault that its father by blood was a bad person.

"I'm sorry..."

* * *

"I can't even imagine a world without Fairy Tail. That's why we're doing this, to climb back to the top so we're not kicked off the chart." Akina declared.

"But we're basically at war with the Seekers of Nothing... they _**killed**_ someone, Akina." Namine sighed.

The 2 sisters had found a sunny spot and were currently trying to make their magic brighter than the yellow/orange ball in the sky.

"It was Fate or Jonah in that situation, Namine. I'm glad Fate's alive... don't get me wrong, I want to kill the Seekers of Nothing for killing that sweet little Exceed, but that's gonna have to wait until we have an army. We can out-number them, and then get back at them." Akina explained.

"I don't know..." Namine mumbled.

"Should we just wait for them to come to us, then?"

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just telling you that knowing us and other guilds, when we don't get along we meet in the middle."

"The Seekers of Nothing are _**not**_ a guild."

"They might as well be a dark guild, Akina."

Akina sighed.

"Yah, I guess..."

* * *

"It's so ironic..."

"What? That we're going to be fighting other guilds, meanwhile we're also fighting a sort-of-dark-guild kind of group?"

Destiny and Cass were exchanging spells while they sat in a tree, since they didn't have much else to do.

"Well, yah... Plus, it's not like we can really back out of either now that the Seekers of Nothing now we're most definitely their enemies, and that Master has confirmed us entering the **Grand Magic Games**." Destiny replied.

They were both quiet as they exchanged spells for awhile before Cass broke the silence.

"Why did you decide on Abygale?" Cass asked.

"I don't know, to be honest. It just came to my mind." Destiny replied.

"You're lucky that she's adorable."

Destiny laughed nervously.

"By the way, I heard about you, Fate and Abygale all sleeping in the bed. What was that about?" Cass asked. Destiny instantly went a dark pink.

"Uh, well... Abygale had a nightmare, so..." Destiny trailed off.

"Specifically, I heard that you had an arm wrapped around Fate when it wasn't necessary."

"Er..."

Cass smirked.

"There's something going on between you 2, isn't there?" Cass asked, enjoying her twin brother's flustered look.

He was silent for a second before he bit his lip.

"Don't tell anyone, please..." Destiny replied.

That's what Cass wasn't exactly expecting.

"Wait, are you 2 actually together!?"

"Y-Yah..."

"Destiny, why doesn't anyone know!?"

"You know..."

"That doesn't count!"

Cass sighed.

"How long have you been together, Destiny?" Cass asked. Destiny seemed to understand what Cass was getting at.

"Only a couple of days, and we haven't done anything big. I'm not an idiot, Cass." Destiny replied.

"I'm just looking out for you."

Destiny sighed.

* * *

Chilled and Minx were on separate ledges coming out from one of the mountains that reached over their camp. They were matching each other's power with their Elemental Roars, each attempting to push the other to the edge of the ledge.

Chilled nearly slip, but when he caught his footing he boosted his magic, pushing Minx to the edge of her ledge.

They both took a breather.

"Good job, Chilled, but I won't lose the next one!" Minx yelled to her brother.

"Okay!" Chilled yelled back, focusing on his breath.

* * *

" **Roar of the Sky Dragon**!"

Jordan used his roar, soon followed by Adam's Fire Roar. It cut through his wind easily and Jordan sighed.

"Keep trying, Jordan! You'll get it!" Adam cheered on his best friend.

* * *

Abygale watched as Ruri gave Rory random questions to solve with his calculation magic. It made her want to learn magic herself, but Ruri said that magic isn't easy to learn, even if there was 3 months to learn it, putting it at a decent level.

Abygale had just sighed and left it be. Ruri must've felt bad, because she had asked Abygale to do a "very important job" and go get a bucket of water for the river a little ways away from the camp. Abygale had agreed because she was bored.

The thing was that Cathy, Dan and Phil were training there, so she had to go further in order not to bug them.

When she found a good spot, she just dumped the bucket in. She looked up to watch Cathy, Dan and Phil jump into the freezing cold water, starting to play-fight with their magic. She made eye contact with Phil for a split second before Dan hit him, knocking him completely into the water.

When Phil came up, the 3 of them laughed together and it made Abygale want to see Destiny and Fate. She really looked up to Fate, and if Fate really liked Destiny than so did she.

Abygale pulled the bucket of water up beside her, with a good amount of trouble, and then sighed. Suddenly, she saw movement from the corner of her eye, and it wasn't Cathy, Dan or Phil. She turned her head, seeing a shadow behind one of the trees on the other side of the river.

She carefully took a step forward, making sure that she wouldn't fall into the river, before looking at the shadow closer. It suddenly ran out of her sight, making her lean forward to try to get a good look at it. But since she was born, unfortunate events seemed to find her.

The ground from underneath her feet broke a bit, making her slip. She screamed, plunging straight into the water. Forget freezing cold, it felt like she was surrounded by ice. She instantly held her breath, trying to swim but failing to do so. Abygale opened her eyes a bit, and they widened at what was in front of her.

The shadow was swimming towards her, and it didn't seem too friendly. Without thinking, Abygale opened her mouth to scream for help and water poured into her lungs, making her unable to breathe. The shadow reached out to grab her, but it suddenly disintegrated.

Abygale caught a small glimpse of black glasses and dark brown hair before she felt hands grabbing her. The water around her disappeared and she was able to cough out the water in her lungs, and taking deep breaths of air was most definitely at the top of her list. When she felt the ground around her, she felt relieved.

"Abygale, hey! Are you okay!?"

Abygale levelled out her breathing before looking up to see a totally soaked Phil, and a partially soaked Cathy and Dan. She could only look at the water, her eyes searching for whom or what saved her from that shadow. What even was _**that**_?

* * *

Charles and Hotaru were standing across from each other in a clearing, using their magic to create illusions. Charles was teaching her how to do something small, and she went and did a huge pack of wolves. It made Charles smile, nonetheless.

* * *

Max and Renee were matching each other's magic, both of them smiling and enjoying themselves. Renee even started laughing after a little bit.

* * *

Miharu froze the ground, and when she looked up Ryeluen had disappeared. Knowing him well, she looked through the trees and put her hands on her hips upon seeing him casually sitting in on a branch of one of them. He smiled sheepishly at her.

* * *

Olivia and James were also sitting in a tree, pointing things out from afar. James glanced at Olivia, who was smiling while talking about what she was able to see and smiled a little himself.

* * *

Even though everyone had set up tents, they decided to sleep outside of their tents instead.

Ruri felt really bad for sending Abygale to the river to get some water, which had ended in the little girl falling in. She felt especially bad when Fate nearly had a heart attack over it, but Fate had told her that it wasn't fault because she didn't know that Abygale would've fallen in.

Fate _**was**_ confused when Abygale told her about the shadow, and then the person with black glasses and dark brown hair. She had asked Abygale if it had perhaps been Cathy, since she had dark brown hair and wore black glasses, but Abygale dismissed that. They didn't have long dark brown hair, but mostly short dark brown hair.

Abygale had eventually dismissed her thoughts, instead talking to Fate about how she wanted to learn magic like everyone else. Fate being Fate, told her that 3 months would only get it to a decent level and that Abygale would have to be responsible with her magic. When Abygale agreed to the "rules", Fate promised her that she'd think of a magic for Abygale to learn.

As everyone stared at the stars above them, Chilled wondered aloud if everyone else was training hard as well, and if they were looking up at the stars just like them. Everyone smiled at the thought as the last of them got into bed.

Specifically, as Abygale jumped onto Destiny, curling up on his chest before Fate lied down beside them, resting her head on Destiny's shoulder and wrapping one of her arms around Abygale. Destiny wrapped an arm around Fate and draped an arm over Abygale as well. Just so Abygale wouldn't have another nightmare in the middle of the night again.

'Goodnight, everyone.'


	6. Our Team, Crocus & Sabertooth

"It feels good to be back!" Ethan exclaimed as the whole group collapsed onto the ground.

Everyone in front of them turned around, welcoming them back even if they weren't exactly listening.

"How'd it go?" Erza asked.

"Good..." Akina basically breathed out.

"How about you guys...?" Cathy asked.

The group suddenly seemed skittish, and Erza laughed nervously.

"Good, good." Erza replied, not looking at any of them.

"Well something happened..." Miharu mumbled.

"For now, just gather in the guild." Makarov told all of them, leaving them all to catch their breaths.

* * *

"Alright... I'm going to announce the 6 members who will participate in the **Grand Magic Games** as our representatives." Makarov decided.

There was a moment of silence before Makarov spoke.

"Natsu!" Makarov announced.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered.

"Gray!"

"Naturally." Gray stated.

"Erza!"

"Leave it to me." Erza said.

"Well, of course those 3 would be chosen. " Mira said.

"3 left." Lisanna stated.

"Being chosen like that is a Man!" Elfman stated.

"The remaining 3... are Lucy, Wendy and Ethan!" Makarov announced.

The 3 were shocked.

"H-H-Hold up a second! This is a huge thing, and you're constantly reminded by Akina that I'm an idiot! So why—"

Ethan was cut off when Akina punched his arm before crossing her own.

"Don't complain! If anyone can do this, it's you... Ethan." Akina stated.

Everyone was shocked at Akina's use of Ethan's name, but nonetheless it made Ethan except it.

"Come on, all that training wasn't for nothing." Fate said, smiling at her partner.

"I can't do this! You could choose Laxus or Gajeel instead!" Wendy offered.

"Well, after all, they haven't come back yet!" Makarov dismissed.

Erza placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Master based his decision on teamwork more than individual power. And since we were chosen, let's do our utmost." Erza said.

"Where do I fit in with teamwork...?" Ethan asked quietly, sighing.

"You'll do fine." Fate promised.

"This is weird. Usually, I'm reassuring you."

"It's just a switch of roles, Ethan."

"To make a serious grab for the win, I really wanted to have Gildarts or Laxus, I thought..." Makarov sighed.

"But you're sayin' it!" Natsu and Gray pointed out.

"Everyone! These **Grand Magic Games** are the perfect chance for Fairy Tail to regain its reputation! We'll beat Sabertooth, the strongest guild in Fiore, and Fairy Tail will become the number one guild in Fiore!" Erza yelled.

Everyone cheered, agreeing with her.

* * *

 _ **And so...**_

"We still don't feel well...!?" Wendy asked.

Ethan tried not to laugh at his friends, who had collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Fate smiled at them, Abygale at her side. The 3 of them had heard about the whole "Day-in-the-Celestial-Spirit-World" thing, and all about Crime Sorciere and the whole Second Origin thing.

Since Fate was Ethan's partner, she decided to tag along with him. But Abygale didn't want to be separated from Fate, and that ended up with her tagging along behind the group. They hadn't been too sure about it, but nonetheless they decided to agree.

"Did it really work!?" Gray asked. "The magic to unleash Second Origin..."

"I do feel that my magic power's increased, even though I still have a little pain in the joints." Lucy complained.

"Yeesh. You people are pathetic." Erza stated.

"How is it you're totally fine, Erza!?" Lucy asked.

"I bet she had her Second Origin all along." Gray replied.

"I buy that."

"At any rate, I've never been to a city this huge before." Natsu said.

"Now that I think of it... we've never been here before, have we, Fate?" Ethan asked.

"Now that you mention it..." Fate trailed off.

"It's bigger than Edolas' castle town." Carla stated.

"So you finally made it..."

They turned around to see Makarov, with Asuka on his shoulders, Bisca, Alzack, Jet, Droy and Levy.

"Master!" Erza exclaimed.

"I took care of all the entry paperwork. You better show me the power of Fairy Tail!" Makarov stated.

"Hey! Fairy Tail, he says!"  
"Those chumps!?"  
"The perennial last place losers!?"

A bunch of people started laughing.

"Who just laughed!?" Natsu asked angrily.

"Stifle it." Erza ordered.

"Fate, why are they laughing at the guilds name?" Abygale asked softly, grabbing Fate's hand. Fate glared out into the sea of people before turning to Abygale, smiling down at her.

"They're just not aware of how strong we are yet." Fate replied. Abygale nodded, taking Fate's word for it.

"I'm sure you'll be in last place again this year, too!"  
"And Sabertooth is sure to win it."

Natsu had to hold himself back, and Abygale re-thought Fate's words.

"Are you sure...?" She asked. Fate sighed.

"I wish I was, Abygale." Fate replied.

"Anybody that wants to laugh, let 'em." Makarov said. "Listen! I've got 30 millions jewel... I mean, do your best to aim for the number one guild in Fiore! The way things are now, we can't face the 1st master, who saved our lives!"

They all nodded, and Makarov put Asuka down onto the ground.

"Well, the competition begins tomorrow, but unfortunately, I have no idea what it is!" Makarov sighed.

"Fairy Tail's been in this a number of years, though, right?" Natsu asked.

"The competition changes every year." Alzack replied.

"For instance, one year we weren't in it, they had a shooting contest..." Bisca explained.

"The year I wasn't in it, they had a race..." Jet explained.

"The team with the greatest cumulative points over a number of events is the winner..." Droy explained.

"I looked at the past records, but it seems there's no consistency with the events." Levy said.

"Well, then we'll just play it by ear." Natsu said. "I hope it's a battle, though!"

"Erza!" Makarov addressed. He handed the red-haired knight a book. "Read the official rulebook by tomorrow."

"Read this...?" Erza asked, the rest of the team gathering around.

"Leave it to me! I've got Windreading Glasses!" Levy stated.

She took the book, opening it up and then flipping through, reading page by page. It only took a couple of minutes before she spoke up.

"To put it in a nutshell, I'd say there are 3 important things." Levy said.  
"The first is that a guild master can't participate."

"Well, that makes sense."

"Anyone who doesn't have the guild emblem is counted as a spectator and may not participate."

"That's a pretty obvious one, too."

"And to maintain secrecy, the rules for each event won't be revealed until right before the event starts."

"Not much info of use there." Erza sighed.

"Oh! There is a warning at the end. It says that all the participants have to be back at their designated inn by midnight." Levy explained.

"Midnight?" Erza asked.

"When?" Lucy asked.

"It must mean tonight, right?" Carla asked.

"Back by midnight... It's like that story, the princess with the glass slippers." Gray said.

"You mean Cinderella?" Fate asked.

"Yes, that one."

"What's that about?" Abygale asked.

"How about I tell you the story sometime, okay?" Fate asked. Abygale nodded.

"If it's midnight, we still got plenty of time! It's not every day you get a chance to visit a town this big! Let's go exploring!" Natsu suggested, instantly running off.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed, flying after him.

"Let's go!" Lucy agreed, running after him.

"Wanna follow?" Ethan asked. Fate looked down at Abygale, who nodded excitedly, before the 3 ran after the other trio.

"Hey! Do you even know the inn we're staying at!?" Erza asked.

"Honeybone, right!?" Lucy asked.

"Just make sure you're back by midnight! Got it!?"

"Aye!" Happy replied.

* * *

"They've got flowers everywhere in this town." Lucy stated.

"That's what makes it really beautiful, though." Ethan said.

"No wonder it's called the "blooming capital"." Happy said.

Half of the group were wearing flower crowns, while Happy wore a single flower, and Fate and Abygale had little flower bracelets.

"A fight!" Someone suddenly yelled.

"You can't have a festival without a fight! Where is it!?" Natsu asked.

"This is what I'd expect with all the guilds of Fiore gathering here." Happy sighed, flying after his partner who had ran off.

Lucy and Ethan exchanged looks before going after the 2, Fate and Abygale following close behind. Ethan suddenly caught the smell of something similar to a dragon.

'A Dragon Slayer...'

He pushed through the crowd after Natsu, being followed by his other teammates, stopping when he and Natsu noticed a blonde teen and a black-haired teen around their age. Unconscious people scattered the ground around them, 2 Exceeds by their sides.

"You!" The blonde exclaimed.

"Natsu Dragneel and Ethan Hibiki!" The black-haired teen exclaimed.

The 2 boys were immediately confused.

"Cats!?" Happy asked, coming face-to-face with the 2 other Exceeds.

Fate and Abygale stopped by his side, Lucy standing back from all of it.

"Exceeds, Happy." Fate reminded.

One of the Exceeds looked like a frog, and the other wore a small blue vest that stood out due to their dark-ish fur.

"What's up with this stupid-looking cat?" The one with the blue vest asked, pointing at Happy.

"Stupid!" The one that looked like a frog copied, pointing at Happy as well.

"They talk!" Happy exclaimed.

Fate, however, was not impressed at the 2 Exceeds insulting her friend. She pushed in front of Happy, who was confused about what she was doing, and she glared at the 2 Exceeds.

"I want you to _**dare**_ say that about Happy again." Fate stated.

The Exceed with the blue vest suddenly leaned forward, grabbing one of Fate's hands and shaking it.

"Hello, beautiful! My name is Lector, and this is my buddy Frosch! So sorry for the words that happened to be exchanged a couple of moments ago! What's your name?" He asked.

Fate dropped her glare, suddenly confused.

"Uh... Fate, but—"

"Fate, I see! A beautiful name for a beautiful woman!"

Fate wasn't expecting Abygale to slap Lector's hand away, surprising both him and her.

"Leave Fate alone. She already has Destiny and if he was here, you would be in a lot of trouble." Abygale stated, shocking Lector and making Fate get flustered.

"Hey, Abygale! First, that is not how you let a guy down, and second, there's nothing going on between Destiny and I..." Fate explained, making the younger girl confused instead.

"Wait, really?"

"Really."

Abygale couldn't reply.

"I see, so there's a rival in this game! I won't lose!" Lector declared.

"Oh, come on... why is it always me...?" Fate asked.

"He better not touch Carla..." Happy muttered.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Natsu asked.

"Hey, haven't you heard of Sabertooth's Twin Dragons, Sting and Rogue!?"  
"They're the cornerstone of Fiore's strongest guild!"

"Then these 2 are..." Lucy trailed off.

"... Sabertooth, huh?" Natsu asked.

'Chilled and Minx are Dragon Slayers and actual twins... ironic...' Ethan thought.

Sting suddenly laughed.

"Rumour has it you're gonna be in the **Grand Magic Games**. Is that true?" Sting asked.

"You know about us?" Ethan asked.

"Acnologia..." Sting trailed off. He leaned closer to Natsu and Ethan. "You're the Dragon Slayers who couldn't slay a dragon, right? Even in a large group? Are you sure you should keep calling yourselves Dragon Slayers."

"Excuse me...?" Ethan asked.

"You know, I used to look up to you, Natsu-san. Incidentally, this guy was into Gajeel-san." Sting said, glancing at Rogue.

"I was just interested as a fellow Dragon Slayer." Rogue stated.

"Dragon Slayer!? Both of you!?" Natsu asked.

'Natsu didn't pick it up, did he...? It's kind of hard to believe that these assholes are Dragon Slayers though...' Ethan thought.

"Maybe you oughta call us true Dragon Slayers... We would've beaten Acnologia." Sting replied.

'How dare they!'

"That's easy for you 2 to say when you've never even laid eyes on Acnologia!" Lucy stated.

"That's right!" Happy agreed.

"If you had seen it, heard it and felt the fear we all equally felt, you wouldn't speak that way." Fate said.

Lector leaned toward her.

"A truly terrifying experience for you, it must've been!"

"When will you give up?" Fate asked.

"It doesn't matter if we've seen it or not." Rogue stated.

"The point here is the difference in our aptitude as Dragon Slayers." Sting declared.

"I'll explain, since I'm fairly smart if I do say so myself." Lector said.

"No one smarter than Rory, right?" Abygale asked. Fate nodded, wanting Lector to just give up already.

"Natsu-kun and the rest learned Dragon Slaying Magic from dragons. They're the so-called First Generation.  
Your Laxus-kun and Oracion Seis' Cobra-kun are known as Second Generation. They can use Dragon Slaying Magic through a Dragon Lacrima embedded in their body.  
As for Sting-kun and Rogue-kun, like you, they were raised by Dragons, but also have a Dragon Lacrima implanted in their body... the hybrid Third Generation!" Lector explained.

"Third Generation!?" Natsu asked.

"In other words, they're the strongest Dragon Slayers!"

"Strongest Dragon Slayers, you say?" Ethan asked, a bit annoyed at everything.

"There's a world of difference in ability between the First Generation and Third Generation. It's not even worth talking about." Lector replied.

"Did your dragons disappear in the year x777, too!?" Natsu asked.

"Well, in a manner of speaking..." Sting replied.

"I'll give it to you straight." Rogue said. "The dragons who taught us Dragon Slayer Magic were slain by our own hand, so we could become true Dragon Slayers..."

"You killed dragons!?" Lucy asked.

"Humans killed dragons...?" Happy asked.

"But dragons are super powerful, ri—" Abygale stopped talking when she noticed Fate's expression. She didn't seem impressed, _**at all**_.

"You murdered..." Natsu started.

"... your own parents?!" Ethan yelled, not bothering to put it as more of a question.

* * *

"You guys... Where the hell were you all this time!?" Erza asked.

The group sat in front of Erza, who was angry at them all.

"I had dinner that was no fun at all..." Gray replied.

"We got into a weird tangle with some people... or maybe we started it..." Lucy replied.

"Or maybe we just ran into something we shouldn't of..." Abygale mumbled.

Natsu, Ethan, Happy and Fate couldn't let go of what happened.

* * *

 _"Well, if we get the chance to fight each other during the Games, I'll show you the power that can slay a real dragon!" Sting seemed to_ _ **promise**_ _._

 _"Let's go. I'm not interested in the older generation." Rogue said._

 _Both he and Sting turned, starting to leave._

 _"Both the outdated Dragon Slayers and 2 of their cat companions are lame-o's!" Lector insulted._

 _"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch agreed._

 _Sting glanced over his shoulder._

 _"Don't take it personally." He laughed._

 _Lector and Frosch turned to go, but Lector turned back for a split second._

 _"Until the next time we meet, my dear Fate."_

* * *

"I'm not gonna let 'em get away with it!" Natsu and Happy yelled.

"They're not leaving this city without getting _**at least**_ a scratch from me." Ethan stated. He suddenly noticed Fate's mood. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I can't believe them... who would even have the heart to do such a thing...?" Fate asked. Ethan sighed and shrugged. "Not to mention what's-his-name won't give up!"

That got Ethan to laugh.

"Fate...?" Abygale asked softly.

"Yah?"

"... Are you going to leave us for him?"

Fate blinked, and then she started laughing instead, confusing Abygale. She blushed a bit when Fate's smiled down at her, her eyes soft and determined.

"I'd never dream of it." Fate replied.

Abygale smiled and nodded, knowing that everything would be okay.

"By the way, Wendy's not back yet?" Erza asked.

"Come to think of it..." Lucy trailed off.

"She's late..." Gray replied.

"I'm sure she's with Carla, so I doubt she's lost..." Happy said.

"It's almost midnight..." Erza mumbled, looking at the clock.

"That little girl is out this late... Staying out late... Bad company... Juvenile delinquency!" Lucy listed. "What should we do!?"

"Do all fiction writers have this kind of imagination?" Gray asked.

Elfman and Lisanna suddenly entered the room.

"Hey! We brought treats." Elfman said.

"Tomorrow's the big day!" Lisanna exclaimed.

"Are you guys gonna watch the **Grand Magic Games** , too!?" Natsu asked.

"Yah. To be honest, I wanted to be in it myself and show off for Lisanna and Nee-chan, but giving up is also a Man!" Elfman replied.

"Good timing. Can I ask you a favor?" Erza asked.

"What is it?" Lisanna asked.

"Actually, Wendy hasn't come back to the inn yet." Erza replied.

"And we're apparently not supposed to do anything until after midnight." Gray said.

"Is something going to happen at midnight?" Lisanna asked.

"I don't really know, but there's a rule that says we have to be here by midnight." Gray replied. "And as I say that, I notice it's midnight now..."

"What's gonna happen!?" Natsu asked.

 **"Everyone in the guilds who have gathered together for the Grand Magic Games... Good morning!"**

"Outside!?" Erza asked.

Everyone ran onto the balcony outside, instantly being shocked at the sight of 3-dimensional image in the middle of Crocus. It was huge... and a pumpkin?

 **"Beginning now, we're going to take the 113 participating teams and have an elimination round to put them down to 8!"**

"Elimination round?" Ethan asked.

"We didn't hear about this!" Erza exclaimed.

 **"Every year, the number of participating guilds increases and it was pointed out that the events were getting stale. This year, there will be only 8 teams competing in the official games. The elimination rules are simple!"**

The inn suddenly started to shake and move.

"What the...!?" Gray didn't get to finish his sentence.

"What is this!? The inn is transforming!" Erza yelled.

"Look, it's the same with the other inns!" Gray pointed out.

"Transforming is a Man's romantic fantasy!" Elfman yelled.

 **"All of you are going to race each other. The goal is the Games Arena, Domus Flau. The first 8 teams to arrive there will go on."**

Paths suddenly appeared in front of all the inns, leading to something.

 **"You're free to use your magic. There are no restrictions. But remember; only the first 8 teams to get to the goal will survive this round. However, all 5 or 6 members must arrive together or it doesn't count! And one more thing! We take no responsibility for any lives lost in the labyrinth."**

"Labyrinth...?" Fate asked.

"Fate, isn't a labyrinth a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze?" Abygale asked.

Fate nodded, shocked at Abygale's knowledge.

"Where did you learn that?" Fate asked. Abygale took a moment, and then she shrugged.

"I dunno."

A ball suddenly appeared over the hologram.

 **"The Grand Magic Games elimination round! Sky Labyrinth... begin!"**


	7. Sky Labyrinth

"If it's a race, we better hurry." Gray said.

"Yah!" Natsu agreed.

"Wait!" Erza ordered.

"What!?"

"He said all 5 or 6 members of the team have to reach the goal together. We registered with 6, and Wendy isn't back yet."

"That's right!"  
"Wendy!"  
"Shoot..."

"Then what are we gonna do!?" Gray asked.

"Even with Wendy gone, you got a Man right here, and a 6th member."

They all turned around, looking at Elfman. He suddenly ran forward, grabbing them all in his arms and then running up the path.

"Member change!" Elfman yelled.

"What superhuman strength!" Happy exclaimed.

"Elf-nii-chan!" Lisanna called.

"Guess we got no choice. I don't think we have time to wait for Wendy!" Gray yelled.

"We're in your hands, Elfman!" Natsu yelled.

"Almost literally..." Ethan mumbled.

"Leave it to me!" Elfman yelled.

"Lisanna! Happy! Fate! Abygale!" Erza called back at the 4.

"What is it, Erza!?" Lisanna asked.

"Search for Wendy and Carla! I just hope they haven't got into any trouble..."

"Okay! I'll talk to our people!"

"Good luck, everyone!" Happy yelled.

* * *

"Man!" Elfman yelled.

"There's the entrance to the labyrinth!" Gray pointed out.

"Nope! There's the entrance to being number one in Fiore!" Natsu yelled. Everyone was now on their own feet, running up the path. "Let's go, Team Fairy Tail!"

"Yah!"

* * *

 **"However... even if lives are lost in the Labyrinth, the Grand Magic Games executive committee assumes no responsibility!"**

"So it's a 3-dimensional maze in here..." Ethan mumbled.

"I'm not good with stuff like this!" Natsu complained.

"Get it together! If we're not one of the 1st 8 teams to arrive, forget about number one in Fiore, because we'll be cut!" Lucy reminded.

"Yah, right!? We gotta get through here an' beat those Sabertooth bastards to a pulp!" Natsu yelled.

"That's something I'll actually agree with." Ethan agreed.

"Let's get to the goal before they do!" Gray suggested.

"A Man finishes the elimination round in 1st place!" Elfman yelled.

"Basically, we should head east." Erza said. "The arena is in that direction."

"In that case, count on me!" Lucy promised. " _ **Open! Gate of the Compass! Pyxis!**_ "

A red bird with a compass on its head appeared.

"Please, Pyxis! Tell us which way is east!"

It pointed in a direction, Lucy joining its side.

"That way is east!"

"Sorry, Lucy." Erza apologized. "I brought along a compass." She held it up.

"Pyxis... Good job." Lucy praised, both of them facing a wall. It disappeared almost instantly afterwards.

* * *

The team ran up a path of stairs.

"Be that as it may, we can't just go straight east, can we? This being a labyrinth, we'll have to go around at times to end up where we want to be." Ethan said.

"You're doing okay?" Erza asked.

"Yah. I don't know why, but I'm not feelin' sick at all." Natsu replied.

"Ethan?" Erza asked.

"Not at all, not even a little." Ethan replied.

 **"I'll explain! For the elimination round, this entire Sky Labyrinth has been treated with magic so even those with motion sickness or fear of heights can compete fairly!"**

"So it's like a Troia." Natsu stated.

"Maybe that means Natsu and Ethan aren't the only wizards with motion sickness." Lucy whispered to Gray.

"That's just pathetic." Gray sighed.

"We can hear the 2 of you!" Natsu and Ethan yelled.

"Anyway, let's keep going east!" Erza suggested.

"Right!"

* * *

Erza opened a door, revealing a spirally kind of room.

"What the hell is this!?" Gray asked.

"Just lookin' at it is making me dizzy!" Elfman complained.

"I can't tell if that end is above or below!" Lucy whined.

"Whichever! Let's go!" Erza ordered.

The team instantly started to run.

"It kinda looks like a piano..." Ethan mumbled.

"Do you play piano or something?" Lucy asked. Ethan nodded.

"Actually, whenever Fate and I came across a currently-empty church, we'd just run in and I'd start playing with the instruments that were around. We'd always get in a lot of trouble, especially when we crashed on a bench to stay out of the rain for a night. We have yet to visit Kardia Cathedral though..." Ethan explained.

"You should when we get back to Magnolia! After everything that's happened, I'm sure that Fate would really appreciate the alone-as-partners time." Lucy said.

"I don't know anymore, to be honest. She's such a social butterfly now, and she keeps getting stronger. Over the last 3 months though, she's been getting sick every morning and she'll end up getting really moody if the day starts off horrible. Not to mention that she gets dizzy and she won't sleep on her stomach or her back. It's just so much change at once, I think I'm holding myself back to make sure she'll be okay as she moves forward."

"It's strange, huh...?"

"Kind of..."

Natsu opened the door at the end, charging through. He screamed and Elfman grabbed him. They all looked around, seeing that it was a dead end.

'Falling from here, we'd end up on the streets of Crocus, as horribly non-delicious pancakes...' Ethan thought, not daring to look over the edge any longer.

"I think we should take notes as we go. Make a map or something." Ethan suggested.

"Oh, nice idea!" Lucy praised.

"Can't you just get a whiff of the goal or something?" Gray asked.

"My nose isn't working." Ethan replied.

"Neither is mine." Natsu said.

"Maybe that's due to the magic cast in this labyrinth..." Lucy said.

"Every team has the same conditions. Anyway, let's keep going!" Erza yelled down at them from above.

* * *

"Hey, Erza..." Natsu mumbled.

"Yah, I heard something, too." Erza said.

"Glad it wasn't just me." Ethan said.

They heard voices.

"Come to think of it..." Elfman trailed off.

"The guys from the other guilds are in here, too, right?" Gray asked.

They all turned to see the guys from Twilight Ogre.

"Hey, are you serious!?"  
"Those mugs..."  
"Fairy Tail!"  
"Unbelievable!"

"Those guys!" Natsu yelled.

"As always, they're a piss-poor lookin' guild!"  
"Lame-o's!"

"I didn't expect you guys to be participating, too." Gray said.

"I could say the same to you. You're the one who's in the guild that's perpetually last."

"This year's Fairy Tail is different!" Natsu yelled.

"How so!?"

"Hey, wait a second! Are we gonna fight here!?" Lucy asked.

"Hold on, what!?" Ethan asked.

"We're free to use magic in here! There are no restrictions!"  
"We'll crush you right here."

"These dopes don't learn." Gray said.

"I'm fired up!" Natsu stated.

"We're seriously gonna battle!?" Lucy asked.

"G-Guys..." Ethan mumbled.

"The less rivals there are, the better." Erza replied.

Elfman, Natsu and Gray attacked the charging guild members, yelling that they were in the way. They fell off of the edge, and suddenly the labyrinth shook, starting to move.

"The entire labyrinth is rotating!" Erza yelled.

"WHAT!?"

Natsu and Lucy suddenly fell off of the edge, watching as thousands of others started to fall as well. Erza and Gray grabbed onto ledges, almost falling off.

"It's rotating on a Z-axis!" Erza yelled.

Ethan quickly jumped, grabbing onto a pole of some sort so he wouldn't fall. He watched as Elfman caught Natsu and Lucy, landing as the labyrinth stopped. Ethan jumped down to the spot between Erza and Gray, nearly slipping.

"Are you guys okay!?" Gray asked.

"Yah!" The 3 replied.

Ethan looked over the edge, seeing lots of teams stuck in the air on magic circles. Ethan sighed in relief, hoping that everyone had been caught and was alive.

'Rivals or not, they're still human beings...'

He suddenly heard the others yelling, and Lucy sighing. He turned around, realizing that they were stealing maps from others.

"H-Hey..." Ethan mumbled.

"I can't stop them..." Lucy sighed. Erza suddenly handed all the maps to the both of them.

"U-Us...?" Ethan asked.

"If you would." Erza replied.

"Sure." Lucy said plain and simple. There was no going back anyway.

The labyrinth started moving again, and they all grabbed onto something right away.

* * *

"It's rotated around a bunch of times, so we both thought even if we kept heading for the maze's east side, it would waste a lot of time." Ethan explained.

"So that's why we came to the center part of the labyrinth, huh?" Elfman asked.

"We figured doing that would make it easy for us to locate east..." Lucy replied.

"... but none of us could've guessed that the central part was some wide open landscape..." Erza sighed.

"And upside down on top of that..." Gray sighed.

"The problem is there is no east or west here."

"Even the compass has gotten dizzy."

"Then we don't know which way to go..." Elfman summed up.

"But we can't afford to stand around either." Erza said.

Lucy laughed.

"I was waiting for a time like this!" She declared. " _ **Open! Gate of the Compass! Pyxis**_!"

The red bird appeared again.

"Pyxis, this is your time to shine! A compass is useless now!"

* * *

The labyrinth started moving again, and just on time for Team Fairy Tail. They needed to go up, and with the rotation they were able to drop down. The only problem was that it was straight into a river.

The moment water went over Ethan's head, he freaked out. He flailed around, unable to calm his racing heart, and he was barely able to hold his breath. The water had no temperature, and it didn't seem to move. He should've been fine, but he wasn't.

Ethan reached out to the top of the water, unable to hold his breath as he sank,

'Terra... Takanashi... Sina... Fate... anyone... I'm sorry that I'm scared of something so stupid...'

His hand was suddenly grabbed, and he was pulled to shore. As he coughed and breathed in deeply, he heard the others complaining.

Ethan looked up at Erza and he sighed, collapsing onto the ground.

"I'm sorry... thank you." Ethan said. Erza only nodded.

"Let's aim for 1st place in this round, everyone!" Erza yelled.

They all agreed, getting to their feet and then running off. Ethan thought that would be it, but Erza turned to him.

"Can't swim?" Erza asked.

"Not really..." Ethan replied.

"Is there more of a reason?"

"... Yah... I almost drowned in this river when I was a little kid, and I've been scared of water every since. I can't fight against people with water magic, and I can't go more than ankle or knee deep in oceans and such or I get really scared... It's really stupid, sorry."

"It's no problem. Knowing our weaknesses helps us get stronger."

* * *

"Yeesh! What the hell is this!? Now it's the sea!?" Elfman asked.

They were surrounded by water, running on the path in the middle of it.

'Speak for yourself! This is my personal hell, aside from not actually being in the water...' Ethan thought, staring ahead in order not to look down and freeze in his tracks.

"How far does this go!?" Lucy asked.

"Calm down and look carefully!" Gray yelled.

"That sky is a fake. It's painted onto a wall!" Erza yelled.

"Then..." Natsu trailed off.

"... We've reached the end of this path..." Ethan continued.

"... And that's the goal!?" Elfman asked, finishing the sentence.

"Alright! Last spurt!" Natsu yelled.

"Yah!" They all cheered in agreement.

* * *

The person in the pumpkin suit clapped as the team reached the top.

"Elfman Strauss!"  
Erza Scarlet!  
Gray Fullbuster!  
Lucy Heartfilia!  
Ethan Hibiki!  
Natsu Dragneel...  
Congratulations! You passed the elimination round!"

"Well, of course. It went smooth as silk." Gray said.

"Are we in 1st place!?" Lucy asked.

"No. 8th. You barely made it."

A moment of silence...

"What!?"

* * *

 **"So, out 8 teams are all present! Sky Labyrinth, the elimination round of the Grand Magic Games, is over! Which guilds are going to participate in the real Games? You'll find out at the opening ceremony!"**


	8. 8 Teams: Just do it for me, please

"That's some cheering." Erza commented.

It was like a roar from where they happened to be.

"I didn't realize there would be so many people." Lucy said.

"Both Fiore wizards and a ton of regular spectators, it seems." Gray said.

"Looks like we'll have to work hard... in these uniform-type-clothes..." Ethan complained.

"Y'know, I really don't like this outfit either." Natsu complained.

"It's too late for you guys to whine about it now!" Lucy sighed. "Master told us to wear matching team colors, right?"

"I like mine. It's cute." Erza stated.

"Yep. Me too." Gray agreed.

"Gray, you're not even wearing it..." Ethan sighed.

"I don't believe this... but I'm supposed to put this on...?" Elfman asked, holding the tiny little dress in his fingers.

Natsu laughed at him.

"You won't fit into Wendy's outfit, huh?" Lucy asked.

"The problem is your body's gotten too big." Gray said.

"I was jazzed to participate in this, but is Wendy okay?" Elfman asked.

* * *

 _"Wendy!" Natsu yelled, slamming open the door to the infirmary._

 _He nearly gave Fate and Abygale heart attacks, as they both jumped and screamed when the door suddenly bursted open, hitting a wall. Wendy and Carla were passed out beside each other._

 _"Where were they!?" Natsu asked._

 _"Near some bushes in the palace garden..." Happy replied._

 _Wendy stirred, gathering everyone's attention._

 _"Wendy!" Natsu called._

 _Wendy opened her eyes, looking over at everyone._

 _"Natsu-san..." She mumbled._

 _"What happened?" Natsu asked._

 _"I'm sorry... I can't... really remember..." Wendy replied._

 _"It seems she has magic deficiency disease."_

 _They all looked up, shocked to see Porlyusica._

 _"What are you doing here?" Lisanna asked._

 _"Something wrong with coming to cheer you one?" Porlyusica asked._

 _"No!"_

 _"You don't need to be that nervous around me. I'm not going to eat you."_

 _"Right..."_

 _"I heard what's going on with you and it made me worried, so here I am. Let me have a look."_

 _Porlyusica felt Wendy's forehead._

 _"Just before, you said she had magic deficiency disease..." Erza trailed off._

 _"Yes. Magic deficiency disease is when the sudden loss of a great deal of magic power causes all of the muscles to weaken." Porlyusica explained. "If she's allowed to rest for a while, she'll recover."_

 _"What happened?" Natsu asked again._

 _"I don't really remember it clearly, but there was some kind of black animal..." Wendy replied. She suddenly rolled onto her side, starting to cry. "I'm sorry, everyone... After all the training I did, I... I can't participate..."_

 _Everyone felt upset over the fact that Wendy had worked so hard, but was now like this._

 _"Elfman-san... Please compete in my place."_

 _"Of course! Leave it to me!" Elfman agreed._

 _"Okay, everyone leave. She needs her rest now!" Porlyusica said._

 _"Let's go. The only thing we can do right now is compete in the_ _ **Grand Magic Games**_ _." Erza said._

 _"But that's not all of it, right? We have to become Fiore's number one guild!" Happy said._

* * *

"Is the villain who harmed Wendy someone connected to this tournament?" Natsu asked.

"It's possible." Lucy replied.

"Someone trying to weaken us? Or..." Gray trailed off.

"All we can do now is do this!" Elfman said.

"We've gotta do our best. For Wendy and for our guild." Ethan said.

"Alright, in just a moment, the curtain will rise on the **Grand Magic Games**. I'm your emcee, Chapati Rola, and next to me is former Council member, Yajima-san who will provide the commentary. Yajima-san, I look forward to working together." The emcee said.

"Likewise." Yajima said.

"And I'd like to introduce our guest for day one, the current Miss Fiore, Blue Pegasus' Jenny Realight!" Chapati announced.

"We're gonna win this year!" Jenny cheered.

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu said.

The team started walking, hearing all of the people cheering as it got louder and louder.

"Okay, the players are about to take the field! Starting with the 8th-ranked team! Can they recapture their past glory!? The group whose name clashes with their rowdiness! Fairy Tail!" Chapati announced.

Natsu raised his fist, even when the crowd started booing at them.

"Fairy Tail has come in last place every year, but they survived the elimination round, though even in that, they 8th place." Chapati said. "Will the Tenrou bunch that Created a sensation with their homecoming now become Fiore's number one!?"

"LET'S START CHEERIN' 'EM ON!"

The team turned around, seeing everyone from their guild in one part of the stands.

"HOORAY! HOORAY! HOORAY, FAIRY TAIL!" Makarov yelled.

"As long as we've got the support of our comrades, that's all that counts." Erza said.

Ethan made eye contact with Fate, who had Abygale in her lap and was sitting especially close to Destiny. Ethan just smiled, shaking his head a bit.

'There is so something going on...' Ethan thought.

Nonetheless, he gave Fate a thumbs-up, earning a thumbs-up back from her.

'We'll always be partners, no matter what.'

"Wait, is that—"

Ethan noticed someone certain in the stands, right beside Makarov.

"Hooray, hooray, Fairy Tail!" The person cheered.

"Master Mavis!" Makarov exclaimed.

Abygale's eyes lit up almost instantly.

"She's pretty~..." Abygale said, looking up at Fate. Fate smiled and nodded, despite her confusion.

"I've come to show my support." Mavis stated.

"You came..." Makarov trailed off.

"It's fine! Only those bearing the guild's insignia can see me."

Everyone suddenly got _**really**_ confused.

"Abygale doesn't have the guild's insignia, does she?" Ruri asked Fate, who shook her head.

"Who knows, maybe she's got a gift to see the dead." Olivia said.

"Hold on, don't joke!"

"I'm not joking."

"I, uh, don't know if that's the issue..." Makarov said.

"After all, I've nothing to do being cooped up on Tenroujima all the time." Mavis said.

"It's encouraging having the 1st master here to watch us!" Natsu laughed.

"Even though she's a ghost..." Gray sighed.

"Alright! Let's move on with the team that finished 7th, the hounds of hell, Quatro Cerberus!" Chapati announced.  
"In 6th place, the all-female guild, the dancing girls of the great deep, Mermaid Heel!"

"I've never heard of that guild!" Happy exclaimed.

"New guilds are exciting, nonetheless." Renee said.

"In 5th place are the bright blue wings in pitch dark, Blue Pegasus!" Chapati announced.

"Do your best, everyone!" Jenny cheered.

"Continuing with 4th place! The goddess of love and war, the holy destroyer, Lamia Scale!"

A pink haired girl tripped and fell.

"Who the hell is she?" Natsu asked.

"What happened to her usual "love"? Where's the love?" Gray asked.

"Chelia, don't get flustered." Lyon said.

"Sorry, Lyon." Chelia apologized.

"Chelia is Sherry's cousin." Yuka explained.

"Cousin?" Natsu asked.

"She's totally strong!" Toby yelled. Chelia shook her head.

"I still don't have nearly enough love." Chelia said.

Another young girl came into view, and almost instantly Ethan and Fate's eyes widened.

Black ankle-high boots lined with yellow,  
black socks that reached over her knees, also lined with yellow at the top, and a small black yellow-rimmed belt just under the top of the left one,  
a black skirt also lined with yellow,  
red fingerless gloves, the wrists yellow and black,  
a slightly visible black crop top, lined with yellow as well,  
a red, yellow-lined blazer (bottom),  
a red, yellow-lined blazer (top),  
a black, white-lined belt with a black, yellow-lined pouch on the right side  
and a silver breastplate was the girls outfit.

Her shoulders were showing, her left shoulder bearing the dark green guild mark of Lamia Scale. Her light brown hair was in pigtails, done up with red ribbons and 2 matching red ring baubles. A small white and blue dragon rested on her right shoulder.

When her amber red eyes landed on Ethan, they widened themselves. The small blue dragon landed its own red eyes on Ethan, only to have them widen as well. They looked away, searching for someone else, and then their eyes landed on Fate, who couldn't bear to speak.

The girl turned back to Ethan.

"Ethan-nii!" She exclaimed, tears climbing over her eyes and trailing down her cheeks before she looked up at Fate. "And Fate, too! You weren't joking when you said you'd always be partners..."

Ethan couldn't believe he could see her, or even hear her. Tears clouded his own eyes, blurring his vision.

"I can't believe it... where have you been?" She asked.

Ethan reached out, placing a hand on her head to make sure that she was real, before smiling as tears started to stream down his cheeks as well.

"It's a long story... you have to explain yourselves, too..." Ethan mumbled.

The younger girl nodded.

"Later... okay?" She asked.

Ethan nodded, wiping away his tears. She also wiped away her tears as he pulled his hand away.

Fate didn't bother to stop the tears that were escaping her eyes, and Abygale noticed first because Fate was crying on her.

"You're getting me wet, Fate. Are you okay?" Abygale asked.

That caught the attention of Destiny, and it snapped Fate back into reality. She wiped away her tears and nodded.

"Yah... it's just going to be a long night tonight, probably." Fate replied.

Destiny nudged Fate a little, giving her a questioning look. She gave him and "I'm okay, I'll tell you later" look and he nodded.

"Next up, finishing 3rd in the elimination round... Oh, my! This comes as a surprise! The 1st appearance of a guild, and in 3rd place! The midnight mobile force, Raven Tail!" Chapati announced.

"Raven Tail!?" Natsu asked.

"That's the guild of the master's son, Ivan..." Erza mumbled.

"According to the official record, Raven Tail has been around for more than 7 years, but they've only recently been recognized as a legitimate guild." Chapati said.

"Recognized by the Guild Federation, and not as a Dark Guild, right?" Yajima asked.

"Fairy Tail... the girl was just a way of greeting..."

The team glared at Raven Tail's team, knowing that they were talking about Wendy.

"Alright, there are still 2 more teams that made it through the elimination round! The 2nd-place finisher... oh, this is a shocker!" Chapati exclaimed. "Will they become the soaring key with tattered wings? The unbelievable, improbable..."

All of Fairy Tail, minus Makarov, gasped or yelled in shock.

"... Fairy Tail B Team!"

The 2nd Fairy Tail team consisted of Laxus, Mirajane, Gajeel, Juvia, Chilled and... Mystogan?

"Don't tell me, you're... Jellal!?" Erza asked. Jellal shushed her.

"So, it's Chilled, huh?" Ethan asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"I'm not exactly sure about this, but I've decided to go along with it..." Chilled sighed.

"Well, it looks like a lot of people are up in arms over a revision of the rules this time, Yajima-san." Chapati said.

"For this tournament, each guild can have one team, which is nice, but they can also have 2 teams participating." Yajima-san explained.

Fate turned to Makarov.

"You planned this from the start, didn't you?" She asked, getting a small chuckle in reply.

"I didn't hear anything about that, Master!" Lucy yelled.

That's when Makarov broke into a strong laughter.

"You see that!? That's Fairy Tail!" Makarov yelled.

Everyone started talking amongst themselves.

"Give me a break!" Natsu yelled, gaining everyone's attention. "We may be in the same guild, but I go all out in a showdown an' show no mercy! You guys are competing as another team, so you're the enemy! I ain't gonna lose against you bastards!"

"Alright, we've just got one more team left to introduce! That's right, you know who it is! They're the strongest, invincible, indisputable champions! Sabertooth!" Chapati announced.

Fate looked up, making eye contact with a _**certain**_ Exceed. She flinched, looking away.

"Hey, Happy, do me a favor and tell me if Lector is literally staring into my soul." Fate said. Happy looked and sighed.

"He's looking right at you." Happy stated, making Fate groan because she could feel his eyes on her now.

'Make him give it up...' Fate thought, annoyed that she wouldn't be left alone.

Fate suddenly got an idea and she instantly held Destiny's hand, moving a bit closer to him and resting their hands on her knees.

"Wh—"

"Just go with it for me, please."

"Well, I have no objections..." Destiny mumbled, going a little pink.

"Okay, everyone, you've waited long enough! I'm going to announce the program of the **Grand Magic Games**!" Chapati announced.

A huge stone pedestal bursted out of the ground.

"So there's a competition and battle every day?" Gray asked.

"Starting with the competition, points have already been divided among the teams, according to their ranking in the elimination round, from 1st to 8th.  
Now for the competition part, each team can select one of their members to take part.  
And for the battle part, the results of fan votes will be taken into consideration when the sponsors make the pairings." Chapati explained.

"What!?" Erza asked.

"They can decide on the match-ups however they want!?" Gray asked.

"In other words..." Lucy trailed off.

"... If you're unlucky, you could exhaust your magic during the competition part, then be forced into battle." Ethan explained.

"The rules for the battle part are simple. As you can see, the teams face off against each other, with the winning team receiving 10 points and the losing team getting 0 points. In the case of a tie, both teams will receive 5 points.  
And now, the **Grand Magic Games'** opening game!"

"Hidden...?" Abygale asked.

"I don't know..." Fate replied.

"One person from each team will compete. I'll explain the rules of the game after all of the players are on the field." Chapati said.  
"The 1st person to step up is Quatro Cerberus' Yeager!"  
"From Mermiad Heel, Beth Vanderwood!"  
"From Raven Tail, Nalpudding!"  
"Eve had been called out! From Blue Pegasus, Eve Tearm!"  
"All eyes are on Sabertooth, and they go with the minstrel who sings to the red moon! Rufus is here!"  
"From Lamia Scale, Lyon Vastia!"  
"From Fairy Tail A Team, Gray Fullbuster!"  
"From Fairy Tail B Team, Juvia Lockser!"  
"All of the participating payers from the 8 teams are set! And now for the rules of the opening game, "Hidden"!"


	9. Hidden

**A/N: the bold alone from beyond here will most likely constantly be used for the sponsor pumpkin and the emcee, Chapati.**

* * *

 **"Participants for "Hidden", come forward."**

"See ya' later." Gray said, walking away from his team.

"Good luck!" Lucy cheered.

"You better not lose! Especially to Gajeel's team! And Sabertooth and Raven Tail and..." Natsu trailed off.

"If you're a Man, win, Gray!" Elfman yelled.

 **"Field open!"**

Everyone watched as a town appeared out of nowhere, filling the whole middle part of the arena. All the participants were separated inside of the town, leaving them to be watched via Lacrima Vision.

" **The rules of "Hidden" are simple. Each person is both the hider and the seeker! Find each other in this town! You can use any kind of magic. Then deliver one blow! It doesn't matter if you do any damage. The person who attacks gets one point.** " Chapati explained.

Suddenly, thousands of copies of the participants appeared in the town, moving around normally.

"What's that supposed to be for?" Abygale asked Fate.

"It's a good way to get confused or to confuse. If a participant acts the same as their copies, you won't really know the difference." Fate explained.

"Dragon Slayers would be good for this. They could most likely smell the difference between the copies and the real participants." Rory said. Fate nodded.

" **These are copies of everyone. If you accidentally attack a copy, you lose one point!** "

"And then there's that, right?" Abygale asked, getting another nod from Fate.

" **Now, disappear into the silence! Like a black cat lurking in the dark night! Let "Hidden" begin!** "

Within only a couple of seconds, Juvia lost a point.

" **Oh, my! Juvia attacked a copy and lost one point! In this situation, the player restarts 10 seconds later in a different area. Likewise, if the player is attacked by another wizard, a point is subtracted then too, and the player restarts in a different area 10 seconds later.** "

"This might be a disadvantage to Juvia..." Ruri mumbled.

"That idiot..." Rory sighed.

" **As long as it's within the time limit, it's possible for the players to restart any number of times. The time limit is 30 minutes and the team that has the most points at the end will be in 1** **st** **place.** "

Nalpudding from Raven Tail approached Gray, who attacked him. Everyone had gotten their hopes up, but their hopes were crushed when it was revealed that Gray had attacked a copy. The real Nalpudding was behind the copy of himself.

"Shouldn't that be against the rules?" Abygale asked.

"It's not..." Fate replied.

"It's just annoying."

They looked over at James, who didn't seem to like the outcome.

"Is being annoying against the rules?" Abygale asked.

"No." James replied.

"So Gray-nii is in trouble?"

"I would say so."

Gray was suddenly attacked by the real Nalpudding, within a minute or so of being transported.

"How did he know!?" Minx asked.

"Why is he only going after Gray? That's my question." Jordan said.

Everyone suddenly realized that Nalpudding, had in fact, only been going after Gray since the whole thing started.

"He already made Gray lose a point, so why not go after someone else?" Jordan asked.

"Dammit, Raven Tail... They're only focused on making us lose." Adam sighed.

'Gray's in major trouble. So is Juvia...' Ethan thought, cursing himself for not going instead. Chilled seemed about there as well, as he was leaning over the edge of their teams spot to watch.

Gray was suddenly attacked by Beth Vanderwood from Mermaid Heel, giving away his location. Beth missed, and was attacked by Yeager from Quatro Cerberus. Lyon suddenly attacked Yeager from behind, coming face-to-face with Gray.

Juvia suddenly came from above, kicking Lyon in the face while he was distracted by seeing her panties, of all things. Juvia stood in front of Gray, who told her that he didn't need her help. She suddenly said something about promising Makarov, which lead to her explaining what she meant to Gray.

* * *

 _"Gimme a break! Who's gonna be part of that spectacle!?" Gajeel asked._

 _"I don't mind being in it, but I don't like being on "B Team"." Laxus said._

 _"I thought the team picked out earlier was going to be the only one. Plus, why me? Minx or someone else would probably be better. I'm super timid, and I really hate crowds... not to mention, I'm not very strong." Chilled stated._

 _"Then let's do this. The team that wins gets to do what they want with the other team for a whole day." Makarov said._

 _"Put another way, it's a "punishment game" for the losing team." Lily said._

* * *

"Quit screwin' around!" Gray yelled at Juvia. "Hey, Gramps! I didn't hear anything about this! That local rule applies to us too, doesn't it!?"

"O-Of course." Makarov replied.

"This is stupid..." Destiny sighed.

"I think it'll fun to see." Abygale said. Fate just sighed.

Juvia and Gray were both suddenly attacked by Nalpudding.

"Again!?" Rory asked.

"This should really be against the rules..." Cass mumbled.

It suddenly started to snow in the town, momentarily confusing everyone.

"Eve Tearm from Blue Pegasus! He uses that kind of magic!" Namine exclaimed.

"He's super smart. Copies won't shiver and their breaths won't go white because they don't breathe..." Akina explained, trailing off.

"But humans will!" Destiny finished her sentence, gaining a nod from her.

Eve attacked Beth, Yeager and Nalpudding all in one attack, earning him +3 points in a row. Eve was suddenly attacked by 3 ice birds, only able to dodge 2 of them, and it turned out to be Lyon.

Everyone continued on, running into battle and attacking each other, no longer bothering to hide at all. Nalpudding went after Gray again, and Gray was getting fed up with all his bullshit. The announcers mentioned Rufus from Sabertooth, and that got everyone wondering.

They suddenly noticed Rufus on the top of a building, just standing there. He was wide-open, but he didn't seem worried even in the slightest bit. Rufus suddenly moved his arms, gathering up his magic. He made it dark, and everyone caught on to him saying "Memory Make". That was his magic.

The copies stayed dark, but the real participants glowed in the dark. They were easy targets for anyone now.

"Night of Falling stars..."

His magic hit almost all of the real participants, gaining him +6 points in a row. Nalpudding managed to dodge, and he went to attack Rufus because he was wide open. Rufus disappeared though, and then appeared after Nalpudding missed.

Rufus then used his magic to hit Nalpudding, pushing his points up to +7. The night sky disappeared, bringing back the sun, and the crowd cheered for Rufus and his outstanding performance.

All the teams seemed to grit their teeth at Sabertooth, who was smirking as if the whole thing had been planned from the start. It probably had been, though.

Gray went to attack Rufus, but Nalpudding attacked him first.

'That jackass, get out of the way already!' Chilled thought, almost falling over the ledge he was leaning over.

"Be careful, Chilled." Mira warned him, only getting a nod back.

" **Time's up!** " Chapati announced.

The town and all the copies disappeared, making everyone sigh. Most of their hearts dropped, the hope of winning being completely crushed. Especially Fairy Tail, since both of their teams were at the bottom of the list of rankings.

" **As expected, Sabertooth took first place. Both Fairy Tail teams put up a good fight, but their results were unfortunate."**

"I knew Fairy Tail was gonna suck!"  
"Always in last place!"  
"Your day is over!"

"Fate..." Abygale mumbled, looking like she was about to cry. Fate held her tightly.

"It's okay. It's only the 1st day. They won't be laughing when we're number one in Fiore." Fate stated.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

" **And now we continue to the battle part. A member from each team will fight in a single match. This isn't a tournament. I've just received the list of matches!  
The 1** **st** **match of day one! From Fairy Tail A, Lucy Heartfilia! Versus Flare Corona from Raven Tail!** "


	10. Lucy vs Flare: A Moment of Magic?

"Lucy's really fired up…" Happy mumbled.

"It's because her opponent's from Ivan's stupid guild!" Makarov stated. "Tear her to pieces!"

"What's wrong, 1st Master?" Romeo asked.

"I'm wondering what Raven Tail's after…" Mavis replied.

"Probably to make us look like fools, and to make us lose." Miharu said.

"I hope that's all it is…"

"Do you think Lucy will win?" Destiny asked.

"I hope…" Fate replied.

"Is Lucy-nee strong?" Abygale asked. Fate nodded.

"Super strong."

"But not stronger than you, right?"

"I'm not sure…"

" **Alright, let the 1** **st** **match... begin!** "

Lucy summoned Taurus almost right away, and he swung his axe at Flare, who dodged pretty easily. Lucy didn't hesitate to summon Scorpio as well, and she did it with ease. Scorpio used Sand Buster, and Flare's hair suddenly came un-done on its own. It caught on fire and it blocked the sand attack.

Lucy yelled something to Taurus, who listened. Taurus absorbed Scorpio's sand with his axe and he attacked Flare. Sand flew around the arena from the combination attack and no one could see what was happening until the sand cleared.

Lucy dismissed Taurus and Scorpio, and Flare had been sent into the air. Her hair grew longer, forming a wolf.

"Her hair's turned into a wolf!" Chelia exclaimed.

"Her hair?" Yuka asked.

"Her hair! That bountiful hair! That long hair!" Toby yelled.

"Keep quiet." Jura ordered.

"That's Ethan-nii's team? Do you think she'll be okay, Sina?" The girl with light brown hair asked.

"If Lucy Heartfilia is a friend of your older brother, I'm sure she'll hold out fine, Takanashi." The white and blue dragon replied, lying on a part of the ledge.

'Lucy-san... you have my good luck!' Takanashi thought.

Lucy summoned Cancer right away, and he cut through Flare's hair. She dismissed him afterwards, and Flare seemed pretty angry. Flare's hair dug into the ground, and then came up under Lucy. It grabbed Lucy by her ankles, dragging her around in circles.

Lucy grabbed her whip, catching Flare by her wrist with it. They both flung each other into the air, at equal measures with each other. Flare burned her hair off, burning Lucy's boots in the process. But it also burned her ankles, and she ended up having a hard time standing for a moment.

Lucy removed her boots, complaining about how she had liked them. Flare seemed to get _**very**_ angry and she dug all her hair into the ground. For some reason, nothing happened for a couple of minutes, except for Lucy looking around. She seemed to say something, but no one heard.

Ethan's ear twitched and his eyes widened.

"Natsu—"

"I heard." Natsu stated, running off.

"Don't hesitate!" Ethan yelled at him before focusing back on the battle.

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"They are so fucking cheating…" Ethan replied.

Lucy was grabbed by Flares hair, her words being cut short as Flare pulled her forward and then threw her to the ground.

Fate felt like something was wrong, and Makarov said aloud that he felt something odd. Bisca said to blame it on his age, making Fate feel old as well. Asuka called him an old moustache man, and everyone laughed.

Flare hit Lucy again, sending the blonde sliding across the ground.

"Did keeping 2 gates open at the same time backfire on her?" Jura asked.

"Is her magic cupboard bare?" Chelia asked.

"No."

They all looked at Takanashi, who seemed really angry.

"Raven Tail is a bunch of cheaters. I heard it." Takanashi stated.

"Heard what?" Chelia asked.

Takanashi didn't reply, but Sina seemed to be completely judging the battle at that moment, and that made the team pay attention.

Flare continued to hit Lucy, not stopping for anything. Flare then grabbed Lucy, dragging her across the arena once again. Flare then held up Lucy by her ankles and her wrists, shutting her mouth as well. Flare removed the hair covering Lucy's mouth, starting to laugh.

Flare made a burning Raven Tail insignia at the end of a part of her hair, making Lucy struggle. Flare seemed to guess of where to put it, making everything even more successful.

'Lucy-san!' Takanashi thought.

'Lucy, hang in there…' Ethan thought.

Destiny felt Fate's hand shaking, noticing that her whole body was shaking. Abygale seemed to notice, too. Destiny squeezed Fate's hand, and she looked up at him, his eyes widening. She looked absolutely terrified.

"Are you okay…?" Destiny asked softly, careful not to gather the attention of the others. Fate looked back at the battle, shaking her head.

"Lucy has to be really scared… more than really scared… and I know exactly what it's like to be in that sort of position…" Fate mumbled.

Destiny let go of her hand, placing his hand on her knee and rubbing it comfortingly.

"You're here, right now. And Lucy's going to be fine, I know it."

Fate nodded, tears brimming her eyes. Abygale decided to focus on the battle, knowing that Destiny would take care of Fate. Lucy seemed to be screaming at Flare, who yelled at her.

Natsu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, burning something near Asuka.

Ethan noticed and he grinned.

'Just in time, Natsu!' Ethan thought.

"Lucy! Now!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy summoned Gemini, who broke her free. Gemini turned into Lucy… with only a bath towel on. All the men went wild over it, and the announcer Jenny said something about curves in all the right places, making the girls with a bit of a flat chest get depressed.

Destiny noticed that Fate was calming down, and he went back to holding her hand.

"Thank you…" Fate mumbled. Destiny nodded.

Lucy and Gemini started reciting a spell, which confused everyone, and a bright magic circle appeared under them. It looked like stars were falling from the sky as Lucy and Gemini officially casted their spell. Her magic lit up the whole stadium, and everyone thought she had a win for sure.

But suddenly, everything disappeared.

The spell and Gemini were completely gone, and Lucy fell to the ground in defeat.

" **Lucy seemed to be casting a major spell, but her magic failed!?** " Chapati asked. " **In any case, Lucy is down for the count! The match is over! The winner is Raven Tail's Flare Corona!** "

"She had help from outside the ring." Mavis stated.

"I saw it."

Everyone looked at Abygale, who seemed angry at Raven Tail.

"The guy with the weird-crow-looking kind of mask from Raven Tail… his little black animal hurt Wendy-nee and Carla-nee with Magic Deficiency Disease because it drained their magic. They cancelled Lucy-nee's magic just to win." Abygale explained.

"Abygale, how did you see all that?" Fate asked.

"I didn't see it happen… but I closed my eyes because I felt really bad for Lucy-nee, and I saw it happen all over again. I did see it, Fate, I'm not lying." Abygale replied.

"I believe you, but do you think you might've used magic?"

"I don't know. But nonetheless, Raven Tail is cheating so we'll lose."

Everyone got angry at Raven Tail even more, taking Abygale's word for all of it.

"Abygale-chan, I think you used a very advanced type of Mind/Memory Magic. Charles and I use it, but we use it differently and not so advanced. I've done my own research on it, and how you explained that all just a moment ago sounded like the I felt really bad for Lucy-nee, and I saw it happen all over again. I did see it, Fate, I'm not lying." Abygale replied.

"I believe you, but do you think you might've used magic?"

"I don't know. But nonetheless, Raven Tail is cheating so we'll lose."

Everyone got angry at Raven Tail even more, taking Abygale's word for all of it.

"Abygale-chan, I think you used a very advanced type of Mind/Memory Magic. Charles and I use it, but we use it differently and not so advanced. I've done my own research on it, and how you explained that all just a moment ago sounded like the I felt really bad for Lucy-nee, and I saw it happen all over again. I did see it, Fate, I'm not lying." Abygale replied.

"I believe you, but do you think you might've used magic?"

"I don't know. But nonetheless, Raven Tail is cheating so we'll lose."

Everyone got angry at Raven Tail even more, taking Abygale's word for all of it.

"Abygale-chan, I think you used a very advanced type of Mind/Memory Magic. Charles and I use it, but we use it differently and not so advanced. I've done my own research on it, and how you explained that all just a moment ago sounded like the _**very**_ advanced type." Hotaru explained.

"You think?" Abygale asked. Hotaru nodded. "… I don't think it matters... I just want Raven Tail to get what's coming for them…"

"We all do."

"What the hell was that, a magic misfire!?"  
"Lame!"  
"So now Raven Tail had 18 points."  
"Fairy Tail… still has 0 points!"

Natsu approached Lucy, telling her something before holding out a hand. She gratefully took it and nodded, tears streaming down her face.

'Fairy Tail… no matter how much I want my guild to win, good luck! I'm cheering you on!' Takanashi thought.


	11. Chariot

**A/N:** _ **Italic**_ **by itself is gonna be via Lacrima Vision, just a heads up!**

* * *

Echoing throughout the dark eerie hallways of what looked like castle dungeons was the clinking sound of rocks against metal. With the concrete-looking ground, you'd think it was someone walking even if you were alone.

A pair of black glasses fell onto the ground, and someone sighed before they picked them up. In view was a black Exceed with dark brown eyes, wearing a light gray sweater shirt and a pair of black jeans. He used the end of his sweater shirt to clean them off before he put them back on.

He summoned a rock out of nowhere and threw it at the metal bars in front of him before he collapsed his body against them, a loud groan of annoyance escaping his throat. His back hit a wall the moment he turned, and he slid down it.

He heard laughing and he looked up, into the cell across from him. Another black Exceed was sitting in it, their eyes focused on the ground, stealing away from him the "honor" of seeing their eyes.

"Why are you laughing? You're just as stuck as I am." He said, gaining more laughter.

The other Exceed looked up, nearly giving him a heart attack with their blood red eyes.

"Because this is the end." She replied. That got his attention completely.

He leaned up against the bars, hearing his breathing in the deathly quiet environment.

"What do you mean "This is the end"?" He asked. She didn't answer. "Can you hear them, too? Do you know Abygale; is she coming with her guild?"

"I don't know anyone by that name. I've been in here for weeks, year's maybe. You look like you'd be a good dinner, you know that?"

He leaned away from the bars a bit from the statement, but nonetheless pushed on.

"Why are you here?" He asked, getting a low chuckle from the girl.

"I'm a vampire, and I'm off-terms with my own kind because I don't wish to tolerate the Seekers of Nothing. How about you, dinner?"

"I'm here because of my magic. They see me as a threat." He replied.

"What's your name...?"

"I'm not telling if you're not."

"Then you're making this awkward."

He sighed, leaning against the wall instead of the bars. He just wanted to get out, and away from the Seekers of Nothing. He wasn't actually a threat, was he? He couldn't have been, even if he could take them all out in a snap of his fingers, or maybe even at a thought. Why get on his bad side then, though?

"Nothing makes sense." He stated.

"Welcome to life, dinner."

* * *

Renee turned around to see Ethan walking into the place, wondering where he had been.

"Oh, Ethan! You've been go—" Natsu stopped when he saw someone behind Ethan/.

"Sorry. You guys don't mind someone from another guild being here... right?" Ethan asked.

Takanashi looked a bit scared and apologetic as she looked around Ethan, making everyone confused. She seemed really nervous as well, as she looked like she was sweating. Sina sighed from Takanashi's shoulders, most likely at her partner's reaction.

"We have a lot to catch up on, huh?" Fate asked, appearing at her partner's side. Ethan nodded.

"She better not be here to search for our strategies." Minx said.

"I-I'm not! Obaba-sama believes we're in for the win because we have Jura on our team, so..." Takanashi trailed off.

"To sum it up, we're just here to talk with some old "friends"." Sina said, surprising everyone.

"Let's not worry about it." Makarov said.

"But, Master—"

"I trust that Ethan wouldn't just waltz in with an unreliable stranger." Makarov cut off whoever was about to talk.

Everyone seemed to accept it, as they went back to what they had been doing before. Ethan grabbed Takanashi's hand, leading her over to who had kind of become his main group.

* * *

"I heard about the 7 year gap, it was hard not to hear of it every time I turned around. I had no idea that you guys even joined Fairy Tail." Takanashi said.

"How long ago did you join Lamia Scale?" Ethan asked.

"Only 3 months ago, believe it not. I'm grateful that they allowed me on their **Grand Magic Games** team."

"So, correct me if I'm wrong, but you would be older than me now, right?"

"Wrong."

Ethan blinked.

"Wait, Fate, do the math—"

"I've done it. Takanashi should be 21." Fate cut off Ethan, currently having her hands full with watching Abygale, even if she was with Chilled.

"That's the weird thing. Not only was Tenroujima on a 7 year lockdown, but there was this old, abandoned town that was, too. Sina and I happened to come across it, and with me being the klutz I am, I think I did something to get stuck there, too." Takanashi explained.

"I told you not to follow that weird person." Sina stated, and Takanashi laughed sheepishly.

Olivia's ear twitched, meaning that she was listening and Fate happened to notice. Not wanting anything to get fed up with Olivia asking questions, she asked them herself.

"Was there a sign saying what the town's name was?" Fate asked.

"Uh... no, I don't think so. There was a castle, though, and it was in good shape." Takanashi replied.

"What did the weird person look like, Sina?"

"They wore all black, and their hood was covering their face." Sina replied.

Fate and Ethan made eye contact and while she was telling him to tell Takanashi and Sina who it most likely was, Ethan was saying no.

"Don't trust anyone like that."

They looked at Olivia, who stood up from her spot. She looked at Takanashi, who almost flinched under her gaze.

"You could've got kidnapped or killed, or worse. And don't go walking into old, abandoned towns. They're abandoned for a reason."

They watched as Olivia walked away, and Fate sighed. She wasn't making any progress with socializing, and it made Fate think about the reason Olivia joined Fairy Tail in the first place. She just suggested it, and Olivia happened to take the suggestion.

"Don't worry about it, Olivia is like that." Ethan said, noticing his younger sister's look of shame. Takanashi nodded and the 2 started talking again.

'I need time to myself.' Fate thought.

"I'll be back." She stated, running off before Ethan could ask where she was going.

* * *

Fate took a deep breath, and then she exhaled.

Being outside didn't help anymore than not being a part of conversation or something, and it made Fate sigh. She was alone, and when she usually would have a panic attack, she actually felt mostly calm. Her heart rate would increase here and there, but otherwise she felt fine.

Abygale had just been born about 3 months ago, and she was already starting to learn some magic. Olivia, strangely, had offered to let everyone train while she took care of Abygale and taught the younger Exceed the basics of Mapping Magic. Since then, Abygale had been getting extremely amazing with the new magic, and now she had this new advanced kind of magic according to Hotaru and Charles.

The **Grand Magic Games** had just started, and everyone was already crazy. Tomorrow, Fate had promised Abygale that she'd go with her around town, for whatever reason the little girl had for wanting to. There would be Lacrima Vision around town anyway, so they wouldn't miss anything. Ruri had decided to tag along, and Cass had asked and forced Olivia to promise that she'd come along as well.

'How Cass gets along super well with Olivia, no one will ever know.'

"Hey."

Fate nearly had a heart attack, but once her mind clicked in the recognition of the voice, she completely calmed down from everything. She turned around, letting him hug her tightly before she hugged him back and decided to enjoy the moment while it lasted. She rested her head on his chest, enjoying her shortness just a little bit.

"You okay?" Destiny asked, getting a nod in reply.

"Just a bit overwhelmed... the games and all." Fate replied.

"Are you okay because of what happened today? It seemed like a rollercoaster of emotions for you, even more than it did for Ethan."

"Yah..."

"How about Abygale's progress? 3 months or so in this world, and she's already learning advanced magic all by herself, not to mention that she's closing to maxing out her Mapping Magic."

"It's amazing. Shocking and a bit too much at times, yes, but it's really amazing. She's... something else."

"You don't want to say special, do you?"

"Special can mean a lot of things..."

"I know."

They spent a moment in each other's arms, without any talking or moving. That was before Fate pulled away a little, and then pushed herself up to kiss Destiny's cheek before resting back in her previous position.

"Is there something else that's on your mind?" Destiny asked.

Fate thought about one other thing, which was a certain Exceed from Sabertooth, but wasn't sure if that was a problem she should mention or not. It was bothering her quite a bit, though.

"Not much." Fate replied.

'It's not like I can be forced into a relationship when I'm already in one... right...?'

* * *

"Alright! We're all here, yah?" Makarov asked, jumping onto a table and gathering everyone's attention.  
"Listen up, brats! Today's defeat is the seed for tomorrow's victory! Let's rise up! 'Cause we don't know the meaning of the words "give up"! Aim for number one in Fiore!"

Everyone cheered in agreement.

* * *

 _" **And now, what you've all been waiting for, the 2** **nd** **day of the Grand Magic Games has begun! Our guest on this 2** **nd** **day is renowned reporter for the Weekly Sorcerer, Jason-san! Okay, the competition part has already begun! And its name is... Chariot!  
This competition takes place on top of a line of vehicles, with the idea being to reach the goal without falling off! As the vehicles are always moving, just one moment of carelessness could lead to a misstep! The vehicles will wend their way around the sightseeing spots of Crocus, but which team will arrive here at Domus Flau!?  
Everyone everywhere, you can watch the race here on Lacrima Vision!**" Chapati explained._

"O-Oh no..." Ruri mumbled, even though Fate just sighed.

"What is it?" Abygale asked, holding Fate's hand as they walked.

"Natsu and Gajeel are competing. Dragon Slayers get motion sickness." Fate replied, pointing it out to her.

"All Dragon Slayers?" Cass asked. Fate nodded. "And that would be...?"

"Natsu Dragneel,  
Gajeel Redfox,  
Wendy Marvell, although she hasn't gotten any sign of motion sickness yet,  
Ethan Hibiki, although only a little and he can control it pretty well,  
Takanashi Hibiki, that girl from Lamia Scale,  
Akina Blake,  
Namine Blake, though she usually doesn't show any signs,  
Chilled Daznews,  
Minx Daznews,  
Adam Maalouf,  
Cathy Dixon,  
Jordan Marone,  
Dan Hoyle,  
Phil Ledger,  
and Miharu Sakutaro." Olivia replied, making them all look at her. "What?"

"You've only been in the guild for awhile, how do you know all that?" Ruri asked.

"I'm an observant person? I don't know. It just all kind of... comes to me." Olivia replied.

Abygale suddenly stopped, and so did the others.

"What's wrong, Abygale?" Fate asked.

Abygale seemed to think about it, and she closed her eyes.

"Overlooking the city, watching the games... there are 2 people." Abygale stated. She seemed to think harder. "Female. One with pink hair, one with black hair... I sensed them for a moment and now that I'm looking for them, I've located them."

"Oh, I sensed them yesterday. Erza told me that they're called Meredy and Ultear, and they're here with Mystogan who's really Jellal because they felt some weird magic or something like that. They don't mean harm." Olivia assured her.

"But they aren't the only ones... there are 4 more, just not in the same spot. They're in the city and they've been watching the games since they started."

"Okay, I didn't sense them."

"Abygale, can you explain a bit more?" Fate asked.

"Um... there are 4..."

"Okay, but you've already told us that.

"Uh... they're, um, Exceeds, I think... but I can't see them... maybe they're wearing cloaks..."

All worry vanished upon what Abygale said, and Fate even started to smile.

"Don't worry about them, Abygale. They're friends, or allies... either way, we can trust them for now." Ruri said.

"You're sure?" Abygale asked.

"Of course."

* * *

"Look at Natsu and Gajeel losing..." Ruri sighed.

They had all stopped just to watch the competition and Fate had informed them that Sting and Rogue from Sabertooth were Dragon Slayers as well. Natsu, Gajeel and Sting were behind everyone else. _**Far**_ behind.

"Do you think they'll at least get some points?" Abygale asked.

"Maybe..." Fate replied, sighing.

"Oh, look! Bacchus from Quatro Cerberus came in first!"

"Isn't he the reserve member?" Olivia asked.

"He's also the one who threw Cana under the table last night..." Cass replied.

"And next is Kurohebi... from Raven Tail." Ruri said.

They all sighed, looking back at their teams participants.

"Risley form Mermaid Heel... Yuka from Lamia Scale... Ichiya from Blue Pegasus... We're so behind." Cass sighed.

"Well, at least Sabertooth isn't in the Top 3, nonetheless the Top 5..." Ruri offered a semi-nice thought.

"Oh, wait! Isn't Laxus a Dragon Slayer, too?" Olivia asked.

The thought sent them all into their own small fit of laughter.

"Well, we all have our weaknesses." Cass said.

 _"Don't cry about that one point later, kid!"_

They all looked up upon hearing Gajeel's voice.

 _"Would you answer me one thing? Why did you decide to participate in the tournament? I wouldn't believe you were the same Fairy Tail from back in the day. Are you worried about the strength of your guild? About your public image? The Fairy Tail that I know was more like... They did everything at their own pace... They didn't give a damn about what people thought of them." Sting stated._

 _"For... their friends..." Natsu mumbled._

Everyone watching via Lacrima Vision looked shocked.

 _"7 years... All that time... they were waitin' for us... No matter how painful it was... No matter how sad... Even if people made fun of 'em... they held on... They held on... They protected the guild... for their friends... And now we're gonna show everyone... the proof that Fairy Tail's been walking on all this time!"_

Abygale felt Fate tug on her hand.

"Let's go. You wanted to see the town and stuff, right?" Fate asked.

"But..." Abygale trailed off, looking back at the Lacrima Vision.

"They'll win. From now on, we'll win."

Abygale noticed the smiles on Fate's face and she nodded, smiling as well.

"Let's go!" Abygale yelled, pulling Fate along.

"Okay, okay."

Olivia and Cass exchanged looks.

"I'm grateful that Fate's my Sapphire, no matter the responsibility weighing on us." Ruri said, gaining their attention. Her emerald green eyes seemed to ask them a question as she smiled. 'I'm glad to be a member of Fairy Tail."

Cass looked down, unsure of what to say.

"I couldn't think of anyone better to be the User of Jade, or any other guild that could possibly be better."

Cass looked up at Olivia, who was looking away from her. Cass could see the bright pink blush on Olivia's face, though, no matter how much the older girl tried to hide it. Cass smiled.

"I'm glad my brother has someone who'll be there for him, and that I'll have a home no matter what. Right, Olivia?" Cass asked. The older girl nodded slightly, causing Cass to smile even more.


	12. Battles: Nathan Skyward?

**A/N: Switchy switchy lol (I'm really tired)**

* * *

 _"From Quatro Cerberus, Bacchus! Versus an opponent from Fairy Tail A..."_

"Huh, from Fairy Tail A... probably Erza, right?" Cass asked.

"Most likely... If it's Natsu, Gray'll probably slap him awake though." Ruri replied.

"I hope it's not Ethan, no matter how strong he's gotten..." Fate said.

 _"Elfman!"_

They all were quite.

"It's over, no?" Olivia asked.

"Hey, only maybe a little bit!" Ruri replied.

"It's unusual, which makes it fun, right!?" Abygale asked.

"I-I guess..." Fate replied.

"Oh..."

They all looked at Cass, who had been paying attention.

"A bet like the last match." Cass stated. They all looked up.

 _"Both of your sisters are delightful dishes..." Bacchus trailed off._

 _"What do you wanna say?" Elfman asked._

 _"It's an old story." Bacchus replied. "If I win, they're mine. Both of them, at the same time..."_

"Fate, what does that mean?" Abygale asked. Fate placed a hand on Abygale's shoulder

"You'll learn when you're older..." Fate replied. 'Both of them at the same time, you disgusting bastard...'

"Elfman better win this, or Mira and Lisanna..." Ruri trailed off.

"Took the words right out of my mouth..." Olivia mumbled.

"Elfman looks angry, why?" Abygale asked.

"You'll understand when you're older Abygale." Cass replied.

"But, what about now...?"

"Er..."

* * *

 _"Bacchus is down! The winner is Elfman! Fairy Tail A gets 10 points! This gives them a total of 12 points!"_

"Fate! Cass! Olivia! Ruri! You're not paying attention! Elfman won! Fairy Tail A Team got 10 points!" Abygale yelled, pulling on Fate's arm and pointing at one of the Lacrima Vision screens.

"We had faith in him Abygale, no matter the jokes." Ruri said.

"But, he won and got us 10 whole points! Quatro Cerberus is now Quatro Puppy for the rest of the **Grand Magic Games**! It's Fairy Tail's 1st win!"

"Quatro Puppy... 4 puppies, huh?" Cass asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be a Fairy Tail bet without some sort of humor." Fate replied.

* * *

"I don't understand this..." Ethan mumbled, barely peeking over the ledge of where his team was.

"I don't think any of us do..." Gray mumbled as well.

In a battle of Mira vs. Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus, the both of them happened to be former models. Naturally that would lead to what was happening.

Mermaid Heel had crashed the battle in their own swimsuits, followed by other guilds. Ethan wasn't too enthusiastic about Takanashi just jumping out there with Sherry and Chelia, but since everyone else was out there, he let it slide.

"Look, even Asuka-chan is out there." Natsu noticed.

"Everyone is, man. Even—" That's when it clicked in Ethan's mind, and he jumped up, sitting on the ledge. "Even Akina is out there! Where!?"

"Why are you interested?" Gray asked in a teasing way.

"Because she can't escape this, and she's always calling me an idiot! So, what better way to get back at her but watch her during this embarrassing moment!?"

"Fair enough."

" **The next theme is school swimsuits!** "

"They're doing themes now!?" Ethan and Gray asked in unison, completely dumbfounded at how the announcers were actually getting away with this.

Ethan continued to look for Akina, not being able to find her.

'She _**is**_ out there, I saw Namine. She wouldn't let Namine run out there alone...' Ethan thought.

His eyes finally landed on her, and she was indeed at Namine's side in an instant. For some reason, Ethan felt his face heating up at the sight of Akina blushing herself, obviously not a fan of what was happening.

Akina's long dark brown hair was in a ponytail that rested on her right shoulder, and she had her arms crossed over her chest in defeat as her and Namine talked.

Gray suddenly grabbed the collar of Ethan's jacket and pulled him off of the ledge, causing Ethan to yell because his back hit the concrete.

"What was that for, Gray...?" Ethan asked, getting up slowly.

"A better view." Gray replied sarcastically.

* * *

" **Next up is bikinis and thigh-high socks!** "

"I'm not really okay with this, considering how short I look in these..." Namine sighed.

" **Moving on to girls in glasses!** "

"This doesn't change anything for me..." Cathy mumbled, smiling at how Renee was screwing around with her glasses.

" **Cat ears!** "

"You actually look really cute, Minx. Just as your name implies." Miharu said.

"Shut up... this is a pain..." Minx mumbled.

" **Bondage!** "

"You're too into this, Sherry..." Takanashi mumbled, not comfortable in the outfit she was in.

* * *

" **The next theme is "wedding dress"! Prepare a partner, and then get into bridal gear!** "

"This is ridiculous, why did we get pulled into this...?" Ethan asked.

"I-I don't know..." Chilled replied.

"Hey, idiot! You're my partner because I said so!"

Ethan didn't get a chance to talk because Akina grabbed him.

"Why me?" Ethan asked.

"Just do it." Akina replied.

Ethan saw that dark pink blush across her cheeks and looked at the ground so he wouldn't end up staring at her in that ridiculous, good-looking wedding dress.

" **The wedding showdown is over! Let's go back to the swimsuit showdown!** "

* * *

"How about the person who loses has to appear nude in the Weekly Sorcerer?" Jenny asked.

"Sure, why not?" Mira asked.

" **T-The final theme... is battle gear!** "

"What's that form!?" Lucy asked.

"Mirajane's demonic Sitri form." Erza replied.

"She must be super powerful in that, huh?" Ethan asked.

"Perhaps."

Mira attacked Jenny, who was instantly knocked out.

" **The winner is... Mirajane!** "

* * *

"Where do you think they are?" Cathy asked.

"I don't know, but they should've been back by at least the last battle. I'm worried." Ethan replied.

"We gotta keep looking. They could be anywhere." Minx said.

"What if they're in trouble?" Chilled asked.

"I doubt they are. The probably got side-tracked, since they were with Abygale and all." Adam replied.

'Where are you guys?' Ethan thought.

"It's weird, though. Even if they were with Abygale... Olivia, Cass, Ruri and Fate are all responsible, so I'm wondering if something important got them side-tracked..." Minx sighed.

"We'll find them if we keep looking. I doubt anything too bad happened, if something bad did." Cathy said.

"Let's keep looking." Chilled suggested.

* * *

"Dragons?"

The name of the nearly forgotten creatures confused the black Exceed as he cleaned his glasses with his sweater shirt.

" _ **Dragon Slayers**_. Get it right, dinner." The black Exceed in the cell across from him replied.

"What about them, though?"

"Dragon Slaying Magic is a form of Lost Magic. Each Dragon Slayer has their own form of Magic, just like each Dragon is a master of their own element. In addition, they also have the ability to consume the element which they wield, just as long as it is not created from their own Magic. Doing so rejuvenates them and enhances their abilities. They're known to possess keener senses than those of normal humans such as in smell, sight and hearing, as well as distinctive characteristics and features such as slitted pupils and noticeably sharper teeth."

"But why is this important?"

"Your little friend, Abygale was her name? You said she's from a guild, which one?"

"Fairy Tail... but I'm not sure if she's clued into anything that I've told her..."

"Fairy Tail possesses many Dragon Slayers. Lamia Scale has one, and Sabertooth has 2 of them. I think there's one that was a part of the Oracion Seis, but he's probably in jail by now."

"You're digressing, aren't you?"

"Yes, just a little bit. Continuing... in order for the Seekers of Nothing to reach their goal, they'll need the Keys of Jade and Crimson and their Users.  
They'll need to get rid of the Angel of Light, the Little One, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald and the one who uses Universal Magic. S something, I can't remember.  
They'll need to gather the magic from the Dragon Slayers, a little from each, and then they can release the Angel of Darkness and pull the Hebi's under their control.  
Vampires, my kind or race if you want to say, are currently helping them."

He let the information sit.

"Skyward, right? And there are others done here who are needed for the plan?" He asked.

"Yes, that's correct. How did you know that?" She asked.

"Mapping Magic... I know that there are others down here because the souls of people appear on my maps. I've maxed that magic out, so it's highly advanced when it comes to me using it."

"I see... but how did you know that the name was Skyward?"

The Exceed placed his glasses back over his dark brown eyes.

"My name is Nathan Skyward, Nate for short. I'm this world's only Universal Magic user, and I have 2 different forms: Exceed and Human."

"Wait, you're him!? What's so special about this Abygale, then!?"

"I saved her from a shadow when she fell into a river, and the moment I saw her... I knew that she was different. Her birthmark is that of the Yumi royal family... she is the Little One."


	13. Tanner: I challenge 100

"Nathan!"

Nate looked up, startled at the loud yell of his name from the Exceed in the cell across from him.

"Yah?" Nate asked.

"You were zoning out, I thought you had been put on blank for a moment. Those things downstairs did it to the person in that cell before you. Scared me for a second, the world can't exactly live without you, can it?"

"Technically, no. Thanks for caring, but what do you mean by "those things"?"

"You don't know? They followed the Seekers of Nothing, all of us, during our sort-of move. From Erith to here, they were constantly persistent. The Seekers of Nothing just locked them away again anyway."

"Locked… What away…?"

"The Hebi's. I don't know much about them, but they're dangerous. Don't be too curious about them, dinner. There are some things that you don't want to know."

Nate sighed.

"Why are you here anyway? And I told you my name, so you should tell me yours."

"I already told you. I'm a Vampire, and my I don't agree with my kind. They're helping the Seekers of Nothing in order to release the Angel of Darkness. I don't wish to."

"And your name?"

"… Call me Tanner."

Nate smiled for the first time since he had been locked up.

* * *

"Sorry that we all got back really late. We kinda lost our way... Did we worry you?" Fate asked.

Ethan rolled over, knowing that his partner knew that he was awake. He looked down at her, Abygale asleep in her arms, and nodded.

"We went looking for you guys for awhile. We were all worried." Ethan replied quietly, not wanting to wake up anyone.

"Sorry." Fate apologized softly. "We saw the competition and the battles on the Lacrima Vision screens around town."

"Abygale asked about the 2nd match, didn't she?"

"Yah... we didn't tell her anything, but now we know that she may be very smart, but she's not too good with indirect things."

"That's good..."

"But jeez, that 3rd match... How was that for you guys?"

"Oh man, that was weird and pretty awkward..."

"But the 4th match... what happened with that?"

Ethan suddenly went quiet, confusing Fate.

"Yukino tried to give Libra and Pisces to Lucy. She came and stood outside of the inn to wait for her, and then left after Lucy refused them. I'm not sure where she is or what she's doing, but according to Natsu, she got kicked out of Sabertooth for losing. Natsu being Natsu went and attacked the inn that Sabertooth was staying in. He didn't tell us much more, but I know that he must've knocked some sort of sense into them." Ethan explained.

"Sabertooth... them and Raven Tail, they're beating us down. Raven Tail is basically targeting us, and Sabertooth is making sure that _**no one**_ wins except them. Cheaters and beaters..." Fate sighed

"Sounds about right... but I know that we'll win."

"Well, we're Fairy Tail after all."

* * *

" **We're at the halfway point in the Grand Magic Games. The beginning of the 3** **rd** **day! I wonder what kind of passionate dramas we'll see today.** "

"Geez, you guys! You left Abygale and I behind to sleep in, you should've just woke us up!" Fate complained to no one as she ran, Abygale running a couple of inches behind her.

"The match is gonna start! I don't wanna miss it!" Abygale whined.

"We're not going to! Just keep running and follow me!"

* * *

" **I'm going to announce the competition for this, the 3** **rd** **day of the Games!** "

"Those guys... left us... to sleep in..." Fate panted as she sat beside Destiny on the ledge, Abygale sitting right beside her.

"Couldn't blame them, you look so peaceful when you sleep." Destiny said.

"Yah, but this is the **Games**. We don't want to miss anything. Even in town yesterday, we watched on the Lacrima Vision."

"Well, still."

Fate huffed, finally catching her breath completely.

" **The name of the event... is Pandemonium!** "

"What does "pandemonium" mean?" Romeo asked.

"It's an abode of demons." Carla replied.

"That's one meaning. It also means "wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.", "a place or scene of riotous uproar or utter chaos, or "the abode of all the demons"." Abygale corrected.

There was a silent moment.

"And you know this how?" Carla asked.

"I don't know. It came to mind." Abygale replied.

"Right…"

"In any way, you're both right." Fate said.

"I wonder if they're doing a haunted house… They're walking down a dark path and suddenly…" Makarov raised his voice and made a scary face in order to scare them. "… Something like this jumps out!"

Everyone jumped, some sighing.

"I don't think I like "pandemonium"..." Happy mumbled.

"I-I'm scared, too!" Mavis complained.

"Even though you're a ghost yourself!?" Romeo asked.

" **There will be one participant from each guild. Please choose your representative!** "

It took a couple of moments.

" **From Mermaid Heel, it looks like Millianna is taking the field!** "

"Millianna… wasn't she Erza's friend?" Akina asked.

"Yah, she went travelling with the other 2… Sho and Wally, I think." Destiny replied. Akina nodded.

"You know her?" Fate asked.

"Yah, she was at the Tower of Heaven. Akina and I happened to be there with the others." Destiny replied.

"I see…"

" **All the participants have been selected!  
From Sabertooth, Orga Nanagear!  
From Lamia Scale, Takanashi Hibiki!  
From Blue Pegasus, Hibiki Lates!  
From Raven Tail, Obra!  
From Mermaid Heel, Millianna!  
From Quatro Puppy, Nobarly!  
From Fairy Tail A, Erza Scarlet!  
From Fairy Tail B, Cana Alberona!**"

"Oh, Takanashi's competing…" Ethan mumbled.

"It's funny how there are 3 Hibiki's. You, Takanashi, and then Hibiki from Blue Pegasus." Lucy said.

"Just a little…"

From a magic circle in the sky, an upside-down castle slowly appeared. There was an entrance, but it still seemed highly dangerous.

 **"There are 100 monsters inside this temple. That being said, they're actually magical manifestations that we created, so everyone can relax. There's no danger of you being attacked.  
The monsters are D, C, B, A, S! Those are the 5 levels of battle power the monsters are divided into. This is how it breaks down.  
Incidentally… if you're curious about just how strong the D-class monsters are…"**

The sponsor held up a finger, and a Lacrima Vision screen appeared. There was a white creature on the screen, and it certainly looked strong. It suddenly pounced, breaking through a stone column before casually continuing on.

'W-Why me…? Why couldn't it have been Jura, he's stronger anyway…' Takanashi thought, sweating heavily from just looking at the single monster.

 **"Ones like these and ones even stronger, 100 of them wandering around the temple… That's Pandemonium-kabo!"**

"Even if he says they're just magical manifestations, if you get attacked by them, you're hurt for real, right?" Happy asked.

"Will Erza-nee and Cana-nee be okay?" Abygale asked.

"I'd like to think that those 2 will be alright, but..." Romeo trailed off.

"This is a really extravagant competition, don't you think?" Mavis asked.

"Though it feels like they may be going a little too far..." Makarov replied.

 **"Please note that as the class of the monsters goes up, their fighting strength increases exponentially. The S-class monster is so strong that there's no guarantee even one of the 10 Great Wizard Saints can defeat it-kabo."**

'Again, why me!?' Takanashi thought.

 **"In order, each of you will choose the number of monsters to battle. It's called your "right to challenge".  
For example, if you choose 3 monsters, 3 of them will appear inside the temple. The person who chooses them enters the temple alone. If the player successfully destroys them, they get 3 points.  
The next player then has the right to challenge up to 97 of the remaining monsters. And so on and so on, until there are 0 monsters left!  
Alternatively, if everyone runs out of magic power, the game is over at that point."**

"It's like a counting game... except with ranks and theoretical strategies." Rory said.

"You'd have to think of how much magic you could restore before your next turn and such..." Ruri mumbled.

Everyone's brains obviously understood the concept, but the details were scattered around and hard to grasp.

 **"Alright, let's decide on the order. Please draw your lots."**

Everyone grabbed a stick from the box that the sponsor was holding and numbers appeared. Erza was 1st, and she walked towards the battle stage.

"All 100 will be my opponents! I exercise my right to challenge... 100!" Erza yelled, stating loud enough for everyone to hear.

Everyone was shocked, not having expected that. Even if it was Erza, they were all surprised and anxious to find out how far she'd get. Natsu and Gray, however, were laughing.

' _ **All 100**_!?'


	14. 100 to 1: Takanashi's Magic Power Value?

_A young boy with short dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, covered by a pair of black glasses, ran as fast as he could through a burning village. He wore a black jean jacket, a red shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black running shoes._

 _He panted heavily and kept looking around as if there was_ _ **someone**_ _he was running from. When he looked back again, he was suddenly caught in someone's arm, and he immediately started screaming and struggling to get out of their grip. He was almost begging them, but he was trying not to._

 _"N—Nathan, it's me, sweetheart!"_

 _The boy was put down and turned around a bit harshly. He looked up, seeing a woman with long dark brown hair and gray-blue eyes, and started to cry. She shushed him, looking around quickly and diligently before kneeling down to Nathan's height._

 _"Nathan, honey, I need you to listen to me, okay?" She asked._

 _Nathan continued to cry and the woman wiped away his tears in order to help calm him down._

 _"It's okay, baby, it's going to be okay. Just listen to me, please."_

 _Nathan swallowed hard, leveling out his breath in order to listen._

 _"Chaos Guard, a Dark Guild working under a group called the Seekers of Nothing, are the ones who are burning our village down. They're killing everyone because they want money, and the Seekers of Nothing want a certain someone dead. That certain someone is you, Nathan Skyward."_

 _"I'm the cause of all of this…?" Nathan asked, starting to cry again._

 _"Nathan, you have to listen. There's not much time."_

 _Nathan's breath hitched, telling her that he was trying._

 _"Nate, you are the most powerful person in this world. Without you, all life would be gone. When the time comes, you need to be ready to fight and protect. You are a part of something so much greater than anything else, and you will be fighting alongside friends who are like family. You are very important and you have one job and one job only for the next 14 years."_

 _"There are more!"  
"Over here!"  
"Get them! Leave no one behind, they must all die!"_

 _The woman stood up, pushing Nathan who started whimpering in fear._

 _"Run!"_

 _Without hesitation, Nathan and the woman ran, hearing the sound of guns being fired. Suddenly, a bullet hit the woman in the back and she fell to the ground._

 _"MOM!" Nathan screamed, stopping and running back._

 _"Don't come back! Keep going, Nathan! Your one job for the next 14 years is to_ _ **stay alive**_ _!"_

 _Nathan stood in one place, not sure what to do._

 _"RUN, NATHAN! DON'T LOOK BACK!"_

 _Nathan turned on his heel, running away from his mother no matter how heavy his feet felt underneath him. He ran straight into the forest, the trees and bushes covering him and his path. He didn't stop, but instead ran until his feet were pulled out from underneath him and he went tumbling down a hill._

 _Nathan pushed himself onto his hands and knees before he started to sob. He sat up, seiza style, and continued to cry as he had been before, but even more. There was no way his mother would survive after being shot in the back and also having Chaos Guard members straight behind them. Because he knew that she most likely died, he just hoped that it was quick and simple. He could almost hear her voice in his mind._

 _'Nathan…'_

* * *

"Nathan!"

Nate jumped at the sound of his name, once again, and then sat up quickly upon hearing his cell door sliding open. He looked up, seeing Tanner with the keys in her hands.

"Let's go before they realize that we're out!" Tanner yelled.

Realizing the situation, Nate jumped to his feet, following Tanner as she ran. They were breaking out.

"Tanner, why didn't you just leave me!?" Nate asked, curious as to why she decided to break him out along with herself.

"Because I did!" Tanner replied.

"That's not a response!"

"Whatever, dinner! We're going to go get some people who are in the same cell, and then we're going to get out of here! And then, we head straight to Fairy Tail!"

"Fairy Tail, why!?"

"Because that's where Abygale is, right!?"

Nate nodded.

"Then that's our plan!" Tanner declared.

"Who are we going to go get!?" Nate asked, falling behind a little.

"Some very important people and they're crucial for our escape! We'll need them, trust me!"

'I'm probably going to regret trusting you from the start...'

* * *

"Even for Erza, this is a bit much..." Minx mumbled.

"It's upside down..." Renee mumbled, turning her head sideways in an attempt to see everything right-side up.

"Even the D-class monsters looked strong, but look at all of those other ones..." Jordan mumbled.

"I wonder what the S-Class looks like." Cathy seemed to sigh.

Erza started off with an omni-directional attack, dropping the numbers of the D-class monsters.

"Was she trying to defeat them all at once?" Romeo asked.

"No. By doing an omni-directional attack, she learned the responses, the abilities, and the defensive capabilities of each type." Mavis explained.

"Also, in an instant, she was able to calculate which armor to use against each kind of monster." Makarov added.

"Erza-nee is super smart, huh?" Abygale asked, getting a nod in reply from Fate.

Erza requiped again, not hesitating to go straight in and take down more of the D-class monsters.

"Her attacking power has improved." Lily commented.

"She's starting out by reducing their numbers with sheer force… not a bad plan." Cass said.

One of the monsters suddenly breathed fire, and no one saw Erza dodge.

"It breathes fire…" Adam mumbled.

"It's okay. If it's fire, than she's got the Flame Empress Armor." Akina said.

Erza came out of the smoke, slicing through 2 of the higher-rank monsters, making them disappear.

'A fire and water dual-sword technique… it looks like she's pretty tired by now…' Fate thought, wondering if Erza would make it.

As if on cue, Erza cut down more monsters, leaving her total at 50.

"It looks like she's having a hard time…" Ruri pointed out.

Erza suddenly came face-to-face with an A-class monster, and it brought its fist down.

"D-Do you think that she'll actually make it, especially after a hit like that?" Phil asked.

"I-I'm not sure…" Dan mumbled.

Everyone gasped upon seeing that Erza had used the monsters weight to break its arm, and then she continued on.

Everyone watched with different expressions: Happiness, disbelief, etc. Erza continued going, even if she was having a hard time.

" **The terrifying Titania!** " Chapati exclaimed.

Only 4 monsters were left: 2 B-class, 1 A-class and then the only S-class.

Within minutes, or even seconds, Erza sliced through the A-class monsters and the 2 B-class monsters, almost with ease. Now all that was left was the S-class monster.

Erza looked up, and there was a tiny monster on a ledge. Everyone wasn't expecting it. Erza suddenly changed her weapon to 2 swords, and her concentration doubled. Something was up, and everyone knew it.

The S-class monster suddenly increased in size, and its power tripled. Erza was thrown around for a bit before she charged, attacking it in a flurry. Its hands crumbled to pieces almost instantly. Erza didn't stop, but instead kept going as if one second could make a difference, and maybe it could.

A single sword was raised by the scarlet warrior, and with her dignified look of victory, everyone cheered. She had defeated 100 differently-ranked monsters, even as she was badly wounded.

* * *

 _"The 3_ _rd_ _day of the_ _ **Grand Magic Games**_ _… Pandemonium. I don't think I'll ever forget that day… Even while being badly wounded, a fairy that should've fallen to the ground… soared. Titania… Here you are. Just like… a dignified scarlet flower in all its glory."_

* * *

The castle disappeared, along with the magic circle, as Erza stood in the middle of the arena. Her sword was still raised, and her body was covered in wounds of all kinds, and everyone continued to cheer. Her team ran to her, complimenting her and everything.

" **Fairy Tail has been booed since day one! But this wild applause makes that almost hard to believe!** " Chapati yelled, obviously moved by Erza's performance.

* * *

 **"After some discussion, it's been decided that the other 7 teams need to be ranked, so this is somewhat of a drag, but a simple game has been prepared."**

The 7 other participants stared at the small floating thing in front of them in confusion.

"What is it…?" Takanashi asked.

 **"A Magic Power Finder! In short, MPF! A device to measure magic. When this machine is hit with magic, the magic power will be displayed as a numeral value. Those values will be ranked, from high to low."**

'I wonder…' Takanashi thought.

 **"Alright, let's begin! We'll go with the order that was decided before-kabo!"**

"Then I'm up first!" Millianna stated. She ripped off her cloak, charging forward. She hit the MPF with her magic, and the number came up as _**365**_.

" **Next is Quatro Puppy's Nobarly! The value is** _ **124**_ **!** " Chapati announced.

Next up was Hibiki from Blue Pegasus.

" **The value is...** _ **95**_ **...** " Chapati announced. " **Next up is Obra of Raven Tal!** "

"That's the guy..." Lily trailed off.

"... Who attacked Carla and Wendy!" Happy finished the sentence.

"Right..." Carla mumbled.

" **What the...!? His value is** _ **4**_ **!** " Chapati announced.

"I don't believe it. Not for one second. They're playing it cool just because the Council is here." Destiny accused, although everyone knew that he was right.

" **Sabertooth's Orga takes the field!** " Chapati announced.

Orga hit the MPF with his black lightning, his value coming up as a _**3825**_.

" **O-Over 3000!?** " Chapati asked. " **A-Alright, can Takanashi of Lamia Scale surpass this score?** "

Ethan smirked.

"She could at least get the same score or so." Ethan stated.

"You sure about that?" Gray asked.

"I have high hopes."

"Do you mind if I do this seriously, Pumpkin-san?" Takanashi asked.

 **"Go right ahead-kabo!"**

Takanashi approached the MPF, staring at it for a moment. She seemed unsure, but nonetheless she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and gathered her magic, focusing on the different rhythms of the Earth.

" **It appears that Takanashi is concentrating!** "

" _ **北、西、南、東**_ _ **...  
**_ _ **愛、家族、音楽、健康**_ _ **...  
**_ _ **私は力の単純な願いのために嘆願し、上記の神々に呼び出します。**_ "

"Aww... come on, this is a simple spell." Ethan sighed, a small smile resting on his face, while everyone else was confused and a little scared because the arena was shaking.

Takanashi opened her eyes, her magic visible around her.

" _ **地球の四辺！**_ "

No one really saw what happened, except that a light that came from the Earth hit the MPF. When everyone could see again, after being nearly blinded, they instantly looked at the value of Takanashi's Magic Power.

Takanashi smiled and laughed, going a bit pink, as everyone marvelled over her value.

"I messed up a bit, how embarrassing..." Takanashi sighed.

" **Unbelievable!** _ **8544**_ **!** " Chapati exclaimed.

"That's out of wack!" Natsu and Gray yelled.

"In a word, unsurprising." Ethan stated.

"How!?" Natsu asked.

"D-Don't tell me that you're that strong as well!?" Gray asked.

Ethan took a moment, and then he chuckled.

"That's not a reply!"

Takanashi bowed to everyone, stepping away from the MPF.

"I-Isn't that Ethan's younger sister, Fate?" Makarov asked. Fate nodded.

"I remember when she was 7; she couldn't even pronounce her last name properly." Fate replied.

"You've known her for that long?" Abygale asked. Fate nodded again.

"And she did happen to screw up that spell by a word or so."

"SERIOUSLY!?" Everyone asked.

Cana was up next, and she looked smashed from all the alcohol. She removed her bag and her jacket, revealing a mark on her arm that surprised everyone.

"D-Don't tell me..." Makarov trailed off, looked at Mavis.

"I lent it to her just this once... so she could win!" Mavis explained.

Everyone sweat-dropped, sighing at their 1st Master.

Again, no one really saw what happened except for a bright light, this time from the sky. When everyone could see again, it was revealed that Cana had basically broken the MPF, with the value of Fairy Glitter being 9999.

"We're unstoppable! It's because we're Fairy Tail, see!? Cana asked, yelling it out for the crowd. They all cheered.

"Well, she's got all of us beaten, it would seem." Takanashi stated, silently happy that her older brother's guild had gotten a 1-2 placed win.

'Now, just for the battles.' Ethan thought.


	15. Laxus vs Alexei & Wendy vs Chelia

**A/N:** _ **Italic**_ **in this chapter will be... a sort of void between worlds if that makes sense...?  
BAH, you'll get it!**

* * *

 **"Moving right along, let's begin the 3** **rd** **match-kabo!"**

" **From the Fairy Tail B team, Laxus Dreyar! Versus Alexei of Raven Tail!** "

"It's Laxus, so I shouldn't be worried... but, I have a bad feeling about this..." Fate muttered under her breath to herself.

Destiny, however, heard her and he instantly grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. He watched as she looked down, turning pink, before looking back up. She smiled a little and he looked away as well, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

All in a second of the match starting, Laxus was unexpectedly hit by Alexei and thrown backwards. No one was expecting it, so it shocked all of them.

Destiny felt Fate tightening her grip on his hand in panic, and he squeezed hers in a re-assuring way.

"It's only the start..." Destiny mumbled, getting a nod from her.

Alexei brought his foot down on Laxus, sending him flying in another direction. Alexei didn't pause for even a millisecond, hitting Laxus with some sort of dark magic. Laxus was continuously getting attacked from every direction, not having any time to rest at all.

Fate suddenly felt something and she froze, worrying Destiny.

"Hey, are you okay?" Destiny asked.

Fate closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, standing up.

"I'll be back..." Fate mumbled. "Abygale, Olivia, please follow me!"

The small lilac purple Exceed didn't hesitate to follow Fate, but Olivia seemed bothered by something before she followed as well.

"Where do you think they're going?" Ruri asked.

"I don't know..." Rory replied.

* * *

 _"What the hell is this?" Laxus asked, looking over him and Alexei fighting._

 _The thing was, Alexei was straight in front of him._

 _"A kind of Hallucination Magic. Everyone around us is talking about this right now. They can't see our true bodies. They can't hear us either. What they see are phantoms fighting." Alexei explained._

* * *

Fate ran, Abygale and Olivia running straight behind her.

"You felt it too?" Olivia asked.

"Yah... Raven Tail is a bunch of cheaters, even with the Council around! They've been cheating from the start, straight from just joining the **Games**!" Fate replied.

"I figured..."

"I'm confused." Abygale sighed, not being able to keep up with them.

"Close your eyes, Abygale. That'll be enough for you to understand." Fate said.

Abygale did as she was told, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she seemed upset.

"Why couldn't these have been sincere **Games**?" Abygale asked.

"We can try for that next year, okay? For now, we need to get into that magic ourselves." Fate replied.

"That's where I come in, right?" Olivia asked.

"Right on point."

* * *

 _"It seems that even your guild idolizes you. I wonder how your compatriots feel while watching this..." Alexei trailed off._

 _"Hey, come on... I've got no idea what this is about." Laxus said._

 _"About?"_

 _"What's the point of winning an illusory battle?"_

 _"Exactly. Our goal isn't "victory". This hallucination is just camouflage. An illusion is an illusion. The end result can be altered as we like."_

 _"End result, you say?"_

* * *

"Laxus" finally attacked "Alexei", sending him flying into the wall on the other side of the arena. The tables turned as "Alexei" was now the one being beaten up instead.

As everyone thought that "Laxus" had won, "Alexei" attacked him again. The table turned once again, confusing everyone who was watching.

* * *

 _"Is this the "end result" you were talkin' about?" Laxus asked._

 _"Depending on your negotiations with us, it's possible that we would even let you win this." Alexei replied._

 _Laxus' jacket dropped to the ground._

 _"We've got nothing to talk about." Laxus stated, starting to crackle with lightning. "The illusions don't mean a damn thing. I'm gonna finish this by taking out your real self here and now."_

 _"That's impossible!"  
"Reality is harsh."_

 _The other 4 members of Team Raven Tail suddenly appeared._

 _"Not even you can defeat Raven Tail's elite all at the same time." Alexei stated. Laxus glared at them. "And there's one more thing."_

 _Alexei reached up, removing his mask to reveal who he really was. Ivan, the Guild Master._

 _"You know how strong I am, don't you... my foolish son?"_

* * *

'Seriously, this is weird... Laxus getting beaten up and then Fate running off, telling Abygale and Olivia to follow her... something's not right...' Destiny thought, watching as "Laxus" continued to be beaten up.

"This is stupid..." He heard Akina mumble. "What's he even doing? He should've wiped the floor with that guy minutes ago."

* * *

 _Laxus was suddenly attacked by thousands of tiny paper dolls._

 _"I've been waiting all this time for this day! It was all to get Lumen Histoire! I did your guild no harm for 7 years? Of course not! There's no way the dregs you left behind had any information on that! Inside your guild, Magnolia, Tenroujima, too! I searched every place associated with your guild! But I still didn't find anything!" Ivan yelled. "Where is Lumen Histoire!? Where is it!? Tell me, Laxus! You're my son, aren't you!?"_

 _A dark magic came down on Laxus without warning, but when the dust from the sand cleared, Raven Tail was met with a surprising sight._

 _"I didn't need you here. Especially you 3 out of anyone." Laxus sighed._

 _"That's rude, considering we just saved your life."  
"Or at least a couple of bones."  
"It's good that you're not actually getting beaten up, Laxus-nii."_

 _Fate, Olivia and Abygale stood in front of Laxus, who seemed like he had been ready to block the dark magic. Olivia and Fate had put up a barrier with the magic from their Keys and Abygale was standing right behind them._

 _"How did you even get here?" Laxus asked._

 _"Long story short, some magic." Olivia replied._

 _"Well don't get in my way, this is my fight."_

 _"We'll only "get in the way" if you can't handle something." Fate said._

 _"I doubt you can hit me, because I'm your father. You're such a nice boy, Laxus-chan." Ivan seemed to almost tease._

 _"Laxus!"_

 _They all looked up to see Makarov holding up his right hand, his fingers forming something like an L shape. Laxus smirked._

 _"Obra! Do it!" Ivan ordered._

 _Obra raised his arms, but Laxus dashed forward in a second, not even._

 _"Is this the guy who attacked Wendy and Carla!?" Laxus asked, not waiting for a reply before he punched Obra._

 _He dodged attacks from Flare and Nalpudding._

 _"This is for Gray!" Laxus yelled, punching Nalpudding._

 _Flare caught one of his wrists with her hair, but Laxus didn't seem bothered by it._

 _"This is for Lucy!" Laxus yelled, using his_ _ **Roar of the Lightning Dragon**_ _to attack Flare._

 _Kurohebi appeared behind Laxus._

 _"You... I don't understand you, and this is for Ethan's little sister and her guild, despite it not being Fairy Tail!" Laxus yelled, attacked Kurohebi with a mountain of lightning._

 _'For Takanashi and Lamia Scale... wow... Laxus seems pretty hard to approach and really tough, but he's actually really caring...' Fate thought._

 _Laxus stomped his foot on the ground, crackling with lightning again._

 _"Damn you, old man! I don't know what it is you're after, but you're gonna pay for hurting my comrades!" Laxus seemed to promise._

 _'Is this the same Laxus... who attacked Fairy Tail in order to become its master? He's grown since then, if it really was...'_

 _Laxus walked towards Ivan, who attacked with his paper dolls._

 _"Here's where you can help." Laxus said._

 _As if on cue, Fate ran forward and blocked the paper dolls, glancing back at Olivia. Olivia didn't hesitate, closing her eyes and focusing on every single paper doll. In an instant, her magic hit all of them, shattering each of them to pieces. She opened her eyes, nodding at Fate, who nodded back at her._

 _Laxus instantly ran forward, punching Ivan heavily with his fist, covered in lightning._

It broke the illusion, and the truth was revealed to everyone.

" **W-What in the world...!?** " Chapati asked.

"Fate, Olivia and Abygale, too... Not just Laxus." Namine pointed out.

 **"Alexei was really Master Ivan-kabo!"** The sponsor yelled.

" **Then the battle we were watching between Laxus and Alexei was just an illusion!? B-But what about those 3 cats with Laxus, wouldn't that be another breach of the rules!?** " Chapati asked.

" **It wouldn't be. I may not know them, but obviously they sensed that something was wrong and they rushed in to help their comrade. Raven Tail started it, meaning that no matter what happened, it is not Fairy Tail's fault.** " Yajima replied.

" **I-In any case... Laxus is still standing! The match is over!** "

* * *

"Why did you just run off like that, nonetheless, without me?" Destiny asked when Fate was back at his side.

"I wasn't sure until I actually saw it with my own eyes... so I thought that taking Abygale and Olivia would be enough. It was... but I'm sorry." Fate replied.

Destiny grabbed her hand again, holding it like before.

"Just don't scare me like that again, please..."

Fate nodded, squeezing his hand as re-assurement.

 **"Let's move on to our 4** **th** **match, the last match of the day-kabo!"**

" **From Fairy Tail A, Wendy Marvell! Versus Chelia Blendy of Lamia Scale!** " Chapati announced.

Chelia ran out onto the field, but suddenly tripped and fell forward onto the ground. Wendy ran out, asking if she was okay, before she ended up tripping and falling as well. They both slowly got up as everyone laughed.

"Good luck, Chelia! Do your best!" Takanashi cheered her on. She suddenly felt a bit bad. "A-And you too, Wendy!"

"Why are you cheering for another guild?" Lyon asked.

"I feel bad if I don't cheer for both sides..."

"You're such a child."

"I know..."

Wendy enchanted herself before attacking Chelia, who dodged. Chelia instantly attacked back, and Wendy tried to dodge but she got caught.

"Wendy!" Carla exclaimed, worried for her partner.

"Black wind...?" Ruri asked.

"She's..." Fate trailed off.

Wendy pushed away the black wind with her own, and Chelia attacked again. Wendy protected herself once more before Chelia came running around to the left side of her, attacking her again. Wendy got hit with the attack, but Chelia didn't stop there.

She seemed to get ready to attack again, but Wendy steadied herself and attacked first, sending Chelia straight towards the ground. They both landed, Chelia with a bit of difficulty, before Wendy attacked with her **Roar of the Sky Dragon**. Chelia counter-attacked with a howl, the **Howl of the Sky God**.

The power from the 2 attacks smashing together sent strong wind throughout the arena, amazing everyone. When the dust from the sand cleared Chelia was standing, un-harmed, while Wendy was on the ground, beaten up.

"That's God Slayer Magic." Rory stated.

"Like that guy... Kurai Adachi, I remember. Natsu also fought someone with that kind of magic, didn't he?" Fate asked.

"I think so..." Ruri replied.

Wendy stood up, holding one of her arms in her opposite arms hand. They talked for a moment before Chelia attacked Wendy, who got hit. Wendy tried attacking back, but Chelia blocked and then attacked once more.

When Wendy got a moment, she started to eat the air around her, Chelia following, and the oxygen surrounded Domus Flau got thin.

" _ **Dragon Slayer's Secret Art!**_ " Wendy yelled, starting off her spell.

A magic wind barrier surrounded both Wendy and Chelia, though everyone could still see what was happening.

" _ **Light Burst: Sky Drill!**_ "

The attack hit Chelia directly, and the girl couldn't have had any time to dodge to block it even in the slightest. When the attack faded, Chelia fell to the ground and everyone started cheering, thinking that Wendy had won.

Suddenly, Chelia stood up... and her wounds were healed. Wendy was panting heavily, adn Chelia asked if she wanted to give up, but Wendy didn't reply.

"You know you can always surrender, right?" Chelia asked.

"I can't!" Wendy replied. Everyone went silent.  
"The fact that I'm standing here means that I'm prepared to fight for my guild! I don't need your pity. Until I fall and can't move anymore, come at me with everything you've got! Please!"

Chelia agreed, and Wendy was ready for anything. Chelia suddenly gathered her magic, yelling something about a God Slayer's Secret Art, and her magic turned into what looked like a million black flower petals. It bursted out of the arena, and everyone suddenly feared for Wendy, some even for her life.

The magic went straight at Wendy, and everyone's hearts raced. Suddenly, the magic missed and everyone calmed down almost instantly, and Chelia looked confused. Everyone suddenly understood what happened, including Chelia, and Wendy attacked Chelia. Chelia blocked with her arm, and then healed herself.

The 2 girls went head-to-head, not stopping for even a second. Wendy hit Chelia, and Chelia hit Wendy, and the time ran out. They were left at a tie, and everyone cheered for the 2 younger girls, who were both tired.

Chelia approached Wendy, healing her, and then they both stood. They shook hands, and the 3rd day ended.


	16. Combined: Blue Pegasus vs Quatro Puppy

_Even now, when I close my eyes, I can picture it... Lucy...  
Everyone reveling, singing... eating, dancing... on the jubilant 3_ _rd_ _night._  
 _While various feelings crossed each other, the 3_ _rd_ _night of the tournament wore on.  
We were heading for that day. We had 4 days... until that fateful day._

* * *

" **Day 4 of the Grand Magic Games! In just a moment, today's competition will begin! The name of the competition is "Naval Battle"! In other words, a sea battle!  
Any player who leaves the sphere of water is out! The last person to remain in the sphere is the winner! However, when it gets down to 2 people left, a special rule will come into effect. That's the 5-minute rule! When there are 2 players left, they've got 5 minutes! The person who leaves the sphere during that time will be in last place.**" Chapati explained.  
" **All of the teams are entering the water.  
Chelia from Lamia Scale!  
Jenny from Blue Pegasus!  
From Mermaid Heel, Risley!  
Juvia from Fairy Tail B has also entered the water!  
There she is... Minerva! Listen to those cheers!  
And Lucy from Fairy Tail A!**  
 **The rules are simple. If you leave the water, you're out. In just a moment, the Naval Battle will begin!** "

* * *

" **And now, let the Naval Battle begin!** "

Straight away, Lucy summoned Aquarius, who seemed happier to be called on than most times. Aquarius didn't hesitate to attack everyone, sending all of them throughout the water. Juvia counter-attacked and their magic was equal.

All of the other contestants got away from Juvia and Aquarius' head-to-head fight, and Jenny took the opportunity to kick Rocker out of the water sphere. He hadn't even been mentioned, but she started with him and he ended up in last place.

Chelia joined in with getting back on track and she attacked Risley, who altered the gravity of her body to dodge the attack. Within a moment, Aquarius disappeared, seemingly on her own will since Lucy seemed a little angry.

While Lucy was distracted, Juvia took the chance to try and attack her, but Lucy swam away a little bit before summoning Virgo and Aries. Aries blocked Juvia's attack with her wool, and both of the Celestial Spirits happened to be in swimsuits.

Juvia attacked once again, and Aries blocked, once again. Jenny and Risley were fighting hand-to-hand and Chelia swam in to attack the both of them. Juvia used a "special technique" to try and knock everyone out of the water sphere.

Jenny was out, then Chelia, and then Risley. Minerva and Lucy, however, were able to stay inside the water sphere. Juvia seemed to get distracted, and suddenly she was knocked out of the water. The 5-minute rule was put into play, and it was a showdown between Sabertooth and Fairy Tail.

Minerva seemed calm, but she was smiling. She raised a hand and then Lucy was hit with something, but no one really knew what. She was hit at least 5 times before she was left confused, but ready to fight back. That's when she realized that she didn't have her keys with her anymore, and that Minerva had gotten a hold of them. Lucy was hit again, and she was heading towards the bottom of the sphere.

Lucy barely managed to stay within the sphere, and it seemed like a game to Minerva. When Minerva could've knocked Lucy out, she knocked Lucy back into the middle with her magic, confusing almost everyone. Lucy was hit twice more, but she stayed within the middle of the sphere, no matter the pain that she felt.

Minerva suddenly stopped attacking after Lucy yelled at her, saying she wouldn't give up no matter what. The 5 minutes were up, and everyone thought that was the end. Minerva suddenly attacked Lucy, and it looked more powerful than all of her other attacks. Minerva continuously attacked Lucy, not leaving a second to spare.

Lucy, for sure, was going out of the sphere this time. But everyone's thoughts were once again betrayed as Minerva knocked Lucy back into the sphere once more. Lucy was teleported to Minerva, who physically attacked her. Even the announcers were clueless as to what they should do.

"The match is already over, does she intend to really hurt Lucy like it's a battle!?" Akina asked, looking like she was close to jump over the ledge to go save Lucy.

Namine placed a hand on her older sister's arm, just in case she did try to jump over.

Minerva continued to physically attack Lucy, who was already fairly beaten up, and everyone was just waiting for it to stop.

" _ **STOP**_!" Natsu yelled at the top of his lungs, only getting smirks back from the Sabertooth members.

Fate didn't know what to do when Abygale buried her head into her lap, not wanting to see anymore. No one knew what to do, because it didn't seem like just a fun-and-games tournament anymore. It was like a war.

The referee stopped the competition right away after seeing everyone's discomfort. All the other participants looked scared for Lucy's life as Minerva held her lifeless-looking body outside of the sphere by her face. Team Fairy Tail A immediately ran out to their teammate.

Without anyone being able to stop her, Fate gently handed Abygale to Ruri and summoned her wings, flying down to help. If there was one good thing about having Noroi, it was how easy she could save a life.

Minerva dropped Lucy and Natsu and Gray both caught her before she could hit the ground. Wendy immediately started to heal Lucy, and Chelia ran over and started to help. Fate landed beside Wendy, who was a little surprised to see her, before extended her arms and focusing on helping to heal Lucy as well.

Sabertooth was suddenly there against Fairy Tail, defending their lady. Everyone in the stand suddenly started cheering, talking about Sabertooth versus Fairy Tail, right there in that exact moment. Things were most likely needed to be calmed down, but nobody seemed to listen.

Erza suddenly stopped it all, addressing Sabertooth.

"I don't care if you're the strongest or number one in Fiore, I'll just tell you one thing. You people… have made an enemy out of the one guild you don't want to anger." Erza stated.

* * *

Team Fairy Tail A, plus some, were in the infirmary with Lucy. Abygale had wanted to see Fate, so Ruri and Destiny had brought the young Exceed to her.

"Is Lucy okay!?"

They all turned to the opened door, watching as the Fairy Tail B Team entered.

"You guys…" Gray trailed off.

"Even though we're on different teams, we're all in the same guild." Cana said.

"So, how is she?" Gajeel asked.

"Thanks to Wendy, her life isn't in danger." Porlyusica replied.

"No, it was because of Chelia's emergency treatment, and with Fate's help." Wendy said.

"Those bastards…" Natsu growled.

"Ethan, you're biting your lip." Fate pointed out. Ethan sighed.

"I can't help it. There's so much that I wanna say about that excuse for a guild…" Ethan said.

"We all understand." Chilled assured him.

Lucy stirred, and everyone looked at her as she opened her eyes.

"Everyone… I'm sorry." Lucy apologized, shocking everyone.

"Why are you apologizin'?" Natsu asked.

"I blew it again…"

"What are you talking about!? We took 2nd place thanks to you, Lucy!" Gray said.

"We got 8 points!" Wendy added.

"Yah. You did very well." Erza said.

"My keys…" Lucy remembered.

Happy handed them to her and she held them close, passing out once again after thanking him. Makarov entered the room after everyone sighed; making sure both teams were all there.

"I'm not sure if this is good news or bad news. The administrators told me hat teams A and B must combine." Makarov announced.

"What!?" Natsu asked.

"Teams A and B have to unite?" Laxus asked.

"Why?" Mira asked.

"The disqualification of Raven Tail brings the number of teams down to 7, and having an odd number doesn't work when it comes to matching up for the battle part. Therefore, both of our teams must become one and we have to choose the members again. Because of the inconvenience they've allowed me to choose 7 members." Makarov explained.

"Choose 7 members?" Erza asked.

"What about our points?" Carla asked.

"Apparently, the lower score will carry over." Makarov replied. "In other words, A team's 35 points…"

"How cruel…" Ruri mumbled.

"But if that's the administration's decision, there's nothing any of us can do about it." Destiny said.

"Well, looking on the bright side, we'll be able to put together an even stronger team." Cana said.

"But if we decide on 7 people here, the remaining events will all just be tag-team battles, right?" Gray asked.

"No. I'm sure that between tomorrow's break and the final day, there will be a battle involving all members of each team." Porlyusica replied. "So you should choose carefully."

"I'm definitely gonna get revenge for Lucy! I ain't gonna let 'em get away with laughin' at one of our own!" Natsu yelled.

"Gramps, can I say something?" Abygale asked.

"Of course you can." Makarov replied.

"Not to be rude or anything, but I overheard a couple of things while practicing how to use my magic last night. There'll be a surprise battle between the 2nd and the last ones, and I overheard Lamia Scale talking about bringing out their 6th member. I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, but I happened to hear…"

Makarov seemed to let the information sink in.

"Then I'll certainly have to choose _**those**_ 7 members." Makarov stated.

* * *

" **The Fairy Tail team has finished its reorganization, and we're about to begin the battle part of day 4! Alright, I will now announce the match-ups for the battles! Everyone, please point your eyes at our Lacrima Vision!  
The 1** **st** **match is Blue Pegasus versus Quatro Puppy!  
The 2** **nd** **match is Mermaid Heel versus Lamia Scale!  
The 3** **rd** **match is Sabertooth versus Fairy Tail!** " Chapati announced

"Welcome back, how is Lucy?" Jordan asked.

"She's okay, she just needs some rest. Wendy and Carla are staying with her." Ruri replied.

" **Oh, but wait! That's not all! Today, we have come up with surprise tag-team battle! It will be between the 2** **nd** **and last matches!** "

"You were right. That magic is gonna be really useful someday." Destiny said. Abygale nodded.

Destiny noticed the look on Fate's face and he patted her shoulder, making her jump a bit.

"It'll be okay." Destiny reassured her. Fate smiled and nodded.

" **And now, here comes the new Fairy Tail team!** "

Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, Laxus, Chilled and Ethan took the field as the new Fairy Tail team.

* * *

"I have a bad feeling about this match-up…"

Everyone sighed because Adam's words were true. Bacchus and Rocker from Quatro Puppy and Ichiya and Rabbit (literally what that rabbit suit was called) from Blue Pegasus… what a match-up.

Ichiya and Rabbit held out their hands for Bacchus and Rocker to shake, in which they didn't seem too ecstatic about, but nonetheless did so.

"Well, we'll finally get to find out who the rabbit is." Ruri said.

"That's good?" Rory asked, making her laugh nervously.

When the rabbit removed its head, everyone went silent, and then they freaked out.

"Nichiya!?" Lily asked.

"Well, if I had known Exceeds could compete, I would've had a couple on our teams." Makarov said, scaring all of the Exceeds that heard him.

"Th-There are 2 Ichiya's…?" Erza asked, falling backwards. Gajeel caught her.

"Hey, pull yourself together!"

"That's enough for today…" Chilled sighed, almost crying at the sight. Ethan just face-palmed with a groan.

Since the match had already started, Bacchus had apparently had enough of everything and he attacked Nichiya, who was knocked out right away. Ichiya was attacked by Bacchus and Rocker, and went flying through the air, and the attacks didn't stop.

Ichiya was lying on the ground, not moving, so everyone thought it was over, but Ichiya got up slowly. He suddenly grew in size, his shirt happening to rip off.

Abygale got confused as to why Fate covered her eyes, but nonetheless let her.

"There are _**children**_ here…" Fate sighed quietly.

Bacchus and Rocker went to attack Ichiya, but he stopped them and then punched them into the air. When they landed, they were down and out.

"What a match…" Cathy mumbled. Everyone sighed.


	17. Lamia Scale vs Mermaid Heel: Surprise!

" **Alright, on to the 2nd match! Lyon and Yuka from Lamia Scale! Versus Kagura and Millianna from Mermaid Heel!"** Chapati announced.

 _'After this, it's the surprise match and then it's Fairy Tail versus Sabertooth...'_

Fate jumped upon hearing Olivia, and looked over only to make eye contact.

 _'It's a thing between users of the Keys. We can communicate like this, which is useful.'_

Fate nodded, a little confused as to why Olivia was letting her know about this now.

" **Let the match begin!** "

Fate jumped, but nonetheless turned her attention to the match.

 _'Why let me know now?'_ Fate asked.

 _'Just thought you should know.'_ Olivia replied.

Kagura pulled back, leaving it to Millianna for some reason. Millianna threw her cloak to the side and attacked right away, continuing her attacks non-stop.

Lyon attacked, hoping to bring Kagura into it, but Millianna smashed all of his eagles. Yuka attacked in annoyance, but Millianna dodged every little one of his attacks. Millianna seemed to attack, but it was a diversion and she latched herself onto Yuka, punching him continuously.

Millianna jumped off, landing in front of both of her opponents. She removed her gloves and scratched them both in the face. Millianna attacked once again, but Yuka blocked the attack, sending it elsewhere.

Millianna wasn't fazed by it and she summoned multiple tubes out of her magic in order to attack them. Yuka tried to block them all, but one slipped around to the back, grabbing one of Yuka's arms. Lyon, however, cut through it with a single ice eagle. Millianna repeated her attack, and Yuka and Lyon seemed to try to block and dodge but it wasn't working as well as they wanted to.

They eventually got caught them, and they were stuck where they were. Lyon suddenly made a mouse out of ice and it started running away, catching the attention of Millianna. She seemed unsure for a moment, but she cancelled her magic and ran after the mouse. She suddenly realized what she was doing and she stopped, yelling at Lyon and Yuka.

Lyon made a blizzard, making Millianna freeze in place. She got under a kotatsu, and things were silent for a moment before she stood up, throwing the kotatsu aside and yelling at Yuka and Lyon once more.

Lyon made a snow tiger out of ice and Millianna barely dodged, scared out of her wits. She continued to run away from it and suddenly ran straight into a wall. She collapsed, apologizing to Kagura, who sighed.

Yuka made the first move on her, but it missed Kagura altogether. He tried again and Kagura knocked it aside with her sword. Yuka and Kagura exchanged blows, dodging each other's attacks while trying to hit each other. Before Yuka could attack again, Kagura got behind him and knocked him out with her sword.

Lyon and Kagura had a simple conversation before Lyon started the fight again, attacking her with ice dragonflies. Kagura dodged through all of them, running at Lyon. He used ice eagles next, but they didn't even get to soar before Kagura hit him with her sword.

Lyon was on the ground, slowly getting up, before Gray started yelling at him, surprising everyone. Lyon got up, making another snow tiger and then making a snow ape. He then made a huge snow dragon, surrounding himself with his ice-make magic.

All 3 of them charged at Kagura, who jumped in the air to dodge them, but the snow dragon managed to hit her and send her back onto the ground. She managed to keep her footing, and she stared up at the 3 ice-make creatures. Kagura held her sword up and suddenly, a magic circle appeared in the sky. All the ice-make creatures went up towards it, Lyon following pretty quickly.

Kagura jumped up, slicing through the ice-make creatures and making them disappear. She pushed off the magic circle, about to hit Lyon when suddenly, time was up. The match was a draw since it wasn't settled within the 30 minutes the 2 teams had been given. All magic disappeared upon the announcement, and everyone was a little bummed to not have seen the outcome.

* * *

"It's the surprise battle now, right?" Yuuki asked.

The 4 cloaked Exceeds were sitting up high, and out of sight, on the edge of the Domus Flau arena.

"Right..." Henkou replied.

"I wonder which teams and who's gonna fight." Yuuki said.

"I don't even understand why we're here."

Henkou looked at his parents, who were looking down at the middle of the arena.

"You should remember what we told you. Jellal, Meredy and Ultear came to us and asked us to come keep a watch for anything that we feel can be related to Zeref or any kind of dark magic." Tenshi explained.

"Plus, your sister is here with her guild and they're competing. We should cheer them on and have a little fun while we do our job." Akuma said.

"Ame-nee was really cool when she helped out Laxus with Olivia and the other little Exceed." Yuuki said.

"We'll have to find out her name... you can feel the high level of magic power that she has, right?" Tenshi asked.

"Yah... she may just lead all of us to the upcoming war..." Akuma replied.

* * *

" **And now, it's time for the surprise battle!** "

'Moment of truth...' Ethan thought.

" **It's Fairy Tail versus Lamia Scale!** "

Everyone waited for the contestants.

"Lamia Scale... their 6th member..." Chilled mumbled.

"I'm not sure who it would be, but it looks like we'll find out." Ethan said.

" **From Team Fairy Tail, Ethan Hibiki and Chilled Daznews!** "

"Personally!" They both yelled, not expecting themselves to be chosen.

" **Versus, from Lamia Scale, Takanashi Hibiki and—** "

Time seemed to slow down as everyone who met him on Tenroujima widened their eyes, shocked to see him alive, and in a legal guild nonetheless. He must've been released from jail, since he was standing right there.

Ethan never thought that he'd ever see him again, especially straight beside his younger sister who didn't seem bothered by him, but instead as if they were good friends.

He was... smiling. He had changed over the past 7 years. His once short, messy black hair had grown a slightly longer, and it was a bit neater because of the length. It was still messy, and his amaranth eyes stood out from underneath his bangs.

" **Kurai Adachi!** "


	18. Kurai & Takanashi vs Ethan & Chilled

Ethan was uneasy, standing on the battle field beside Chilled, in front of his little sister and the man from Tenroujima who he had fought. He had a hard time with Kurai then, so just how much was he gonna be able to do this time?

Takanashi looked at Kurai.

"Let's do our best, Kurai! We've been waiting for this! You, for 7 years, right!?" Takanashi asked.

"For 7 years, you waited to fight us…?" Chilled asked.

The 2 Lamia Scale members turned to the 2 Fairy Tail members.

"I want to fight you, Ethan-nii! I want to show you how strong I've gotten, and then I'll tell you _**everything**_!" Takanashi declared.

Ethan nodded, but he glared at Kurai, waiting for an answer. Kurai crossed an arm over his chest, placing a hand over his heart and bowing.

"I would like to apologize for what happened on Tenroujima. The Council gave me unnecessary mercy, in which I wouldn't accept. This battle decides where I go after the **Grand Magic Games**. I just really wanted to face you, fair and square, Ethan Hibiki. So when I met Takanashi and Sina, who were searching for you and your partner, I travelled with them and we all joined Lamia Scale. They put us on the team, and I am grateful for everything." Kurai explained.

"So this battle decides if you go to jail or stay in Lamia Scale?" Chilled asked.

"Yes… it may just be my last battle and my last day, considering everything I've done besides being a part of Grimoire Heart."

Ethan was quiet, and the 3 were scared of what he was going to say for a moment. Ethan suddenly smiled, laughing.

"If you're a part of a legal guild, than you're making up for your sins, aren't you? We know some people like that." Ethan said.

Kurai stood up straight, looking at Ethan with a worried look. Ethan only smiled.

"Let's just have a good fight, okay? Fair and square, for our guilds." Ethan said.

Kurai smiled and nodded.

"Yes! Thank you for your understanding." Kurai thanked.

The 2 teams got ready to fight, and when the sound to indicate the start of the match was heard, Takanashi didn't hesitate.

Takanashi spread her arms out, a magic circle appearing under her feet.

" _ **エンチャント：地球と一つになります！**_ _ **  
**_ _ **土地、空、水、生活！**_ "

As she spoke, a magic circle appeared underneath under all of them and another one above them, and a magic circle appeared under Kurai's feet as well.

" _ **エンチャント！**_ "

All the magic circles disappeared and Takanashi charged, barely being seen by anyone.

"She's fast!"

Chilled, however, closed his eyes and focused. When he caught sight of her, he instantly ran to her, attacking.

" _ **Wing Attack of the Elemental Dragon**_!"

Chilled barely got her, but it caught her foot and Takanashi went tumbling into the ground.

"I guess they're occupied. It's you vs. me." Ethan said. Kurai nodded, a smile still clear on his face.

Kurai clapped his hands together, gathering up his magic.

"You're a strong opponent, and I can tell that you've gotten even stronger. I need to take this seriously." Kurai stated.

'So do I, no matter the circumstances.' Ethan thought, calming himself down from the previous shock.

" _ **Earth God's Judgment**_."

Ethan could feel the ground under him rumbling, meaning that the attack would be from underneath him. When he felt the ground push on the bottom of his feet, he pushed off, back-flipping out of the way.

He suddenly noticed that it would end up being continuous, so he extended his arms and when his hands touched the ground, he pushed off again, continuing that in a pattern until the attack stopped.

"Oh, you've become more athletic, Ethan-san." Kurai stated.

"Just Ethan works." Ethan said.

"It's out of respect, but I can try."

Ethan sighed, smiling a little. Kurai had really changed, even his attacks.

"Let's continue." Kurai suggested. " _ **地球神の殺害マジック**_ _ **: Death Scythes**_!"

A fair amount of death scythes, made out of Kurai's magic, surrounded Kurai before he spread out his arms, bringing them forward. When he brought them forward, the death scythes flew at Ethan, who knew that he had to get serious.

" _ **ライズ！**_ "

Ethan held his left arm in front of himself and the ground in front of him rose up, blocking Kurai's attack. Ethan suddenly felt a presence behind him and Takanashi jumped over him, making Chilled crash into him and they both went straight into the ground.

"What the hell, Chilled!?" Ethan asked.

"I'm sorry…" Chilled apologized.

The 2 Fairy Tail members stood up and Ethan sighed, the both of them looking at Kurai and Takanashi.

"Have we measured enough?" Takanashi asked. Kurai nodded.

"Yes, I believe we have." Kurai replied.

Ethan and Chilled stood up straight, exchanging looks because they were confused by what the 2 Lamia Scale mages meant. They were about to find out.

Takanashi and Kurai each raised a hand, gathering their magic together and sharing power with each other.

"There's a reason why Kurai and Takanashi are a good tag-team." Chelia said, smiling down at her teammates.

"They're strong!" Toby yelled.

" _ **God Slayer/Dragon Slayer Secret Art**_ …" Kurai and Takanashi spoke in unison.

Chilled and Ethan seemed to realize the situation they were in, but weren't sure what to do.

" _ **神、ドラゴン、人間と悪魔**_ …"

"Chilled, we should…" Ethan trailed off.

"Now!?" Chilled asked.

"Do you wanna lose? I want to at least bring it to a tie."

"I…"

" _ **それらに暗いです！**_ "

No one knew what happened, except that Ethan and Chilled were hit and engulfed by a mix of Takanashi and Kurai's magic. Everyone was expecting Ethan and Chilled to be down and injured a good amount, but when the sand that was thrown up into the air cleared, they noticed that the 2 Fairy Tail mages were still standing. They both had combined their magic to protect themselves, but something was different.

When they stood up straight, everyone noticed exactly what the 2 mages had done.  
Chilled's hair was black and purple instead of brown, and people could see that from underneath his hat. His eyes had become a royal blue color, mixed with violet or lavender.  
Ethan's hair had dark blue highlights and his eyes were gold instead of the normal hazel kind of color that they always had been.

The 2 mages had gone into Dragon Force.

"Kurai, they've gotten serious. We should, too." Takanashi said.

She reached up, letting her light brown hair down, having it flowing around her shoulders. She concentrated and everyone watched as her hair went completely blue, highlighted with pink, and when she opened her eyes, they were gold as well. She had also gone into Dragon Force.

Kurai nodded, understanding that they needed to get serious. What everyone loved was that the 4 mages were all smiling, enjoying the fight. None of them hesitated and they all instantly rushed into battle once again.

Who against who kept switching, and they were working in pairs like true tag-teams. They used the same attacks and different attacks, at times they split up and at other times they would work together. They combined some of their attacks, both powerful and not, and _**they enjoyed it**_.

Eventually, they were all running out of magic power and stamina, but they continued on. Sometimes it seemed like one side would win and the other would lose, but it would bounce back to them being equal just as quick.

When the 30 minutes was up, everyone cheered for the 4 mages and they were still all smiling, because they had come to a draw. They were all panting and had minor injuries. Ethan, Chilled and Takanashi came out of their Dragon Forces, and Takanashi fell to her knees laughing.

The other 3 mages joined, laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Ethan and Chilled made their way over to Takanashi and Kurai, and after a bit of an awkward moment, they all shook each other's hands.

"Next is Sabertooth versus Fairy Tail. Good luck to your team." Takanashi said.

Ethan and Chilled nodded.

"It was an honor fighting the both of you." Kurai said, bowing like he had before the fight even started.

"We should fight again sometime." Ethan said.

Kurai stood up straight, nodding with a smile still on his face.

"That sounds wonderful. I'm sure that with this outcome, I will be able to stay out of jail." Kurai said.

"You better not do anything bad, then." Chilled said.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Takanashi promised.

The 4 mages nodded at each other before turning around, leaving the field so the other contestants could take it for the last battle of day 4.

Sabertooth versus Fairy Tail.


	19. Fairy Tail vs Sabertooth: Help?

"There, you should be okay." Wendy said.

Ethan looked down at his bandaged right hand and wrist, smiling up at Wendy.

"Thank you, Wendy. Kurai's attack was harder to block than I thought." Ethan said.

"I'm still shocked that he's here, nonetheless part of a legal guild." Chilled said, having accompanied his tag-team partner to the infirmary.

"I just hope he doesn't get taken to jail like he was talking about. The fight was fair and square, and it was a draw."

Chilled nodded.

"The next match is going to start soon. You guys should go cheer them on. Lucy said.

"We will. We'll cheer extra hard for the 3 of you." Chilled promised.

"I hope you're better by at least tonight, Lucy." Ethan said.

"I will be. Now go before it starts." Lucy said.

* * *

" **The time to clash is here at last! Who will win, Fairy or Tiger!?** " Chapati asked.

The match begun and Sting and Rogue didn't hesitate, running forward. They suddenly froze as Natsu and Gajeel charged, punching them with their bare hands. Natsu then kicked Sting into the ground and Sting barely kept his footing, managing to stay standing.

Sting used his roar, but Natsu leaned back a couple of inches to dodge it. Sting changed the directory towards Gajeel, who quickly dodged. Rogue jumped forward, hoping to punch Gajeel, but Gajeel blocked the punch. It seemed like it was almost with ease, and then he pushed back, throwing Rogue into the air.

Rogue hit the ground, but neither of Sabertooth's twin dragons were able to take a moment because Natsu grabbed Rogue and charged towards Sting. He smashed Rogue into Sting and then set his fists on fire, hitting them both and sending them into the air once more.

When they stood, they seemed to put more magic into action. Sting was surrounded by his light magic, while Rogue was surrounded by his shadow magic.

"I think they're done testing each other." Rory stated.

"Eh, they were testing!?" Abygale asked.

"Well, it looks like they're more serious now than they were before."

"How I hate when you're right..." Olivia muttered.

"Deal with it." Rory said.

Fate smiled at their simple way of communicating, even if they could get like Natsu and Gray sometimes when they fought.

"In any case, they're going to get serious now, so we should really start cheering for them." Mavis said.

Sting dashed at Natsu with a huge amount of speed, punching him with his right fist after covering it in his magic. Natsu blocked the punch with his arms, barely making it through. Sting punched Natsu again and that time, Natsu didn't have time to block. Sting continuously hit Natsu over and over again, not giving him a break.

Gajeel got distracted and Rogue became a shadow, gaining his attention. Gajeel tried attack Rogue, but wasn't able to because every attack went through him. Instead, Rogue kicked Gajeel. Gajeel sliced through Rogue, but it ended up being a decoy shadow, and the real Rogue punched Gajeel at the same time Sting kicked Natsu. The both of them hit each other back-to-back, yelling at the other not to get in their way.

Sting and Rogue got into the air above the 2 other Dragon Slayers before diving down, creating an explosion of sand. The sand cleared, and Sting and Rogue instantly continued to attack Natsu and Gajeel. They were completely in sync, whereas Natsu and Gajeel were not.

Sting hit Natsu in the stomach and when Natsu kept his footing, sliding across the ground when his feet touched it, he stopped and looked down at what looked like a white magic circle on his stomach. Then he realized that he couldn't move.

Gajeel seemed to get luckier than Natsu, as he was able to grab one of Rogue's wrists. But as Sting charged at Natsu, he smirked and then punched Sting straight in the face with his fire. Natsu had burned of the stigmata on his stomach, granting him the ability to move once more.

Gajeel brought Rogue forward, elbowing him in the face. Natsu and Gajeel then both punched and kicked Sting and Rogue, sending them into a wall. The tables turned again and the 2 Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers had the upper hand.

Sting surrounded himself in his white magic once again, and everyone could feel the pressure from it. Sting attacked and no one could see what was happening because the ground ripped apart and everything was bright. Everyone waited anxiously for the result and was suddenly shocked at the outcome.

Natsu Dragneel had stopped Sting Eucliffe's tremendous attack with only one hand. Rogue acted quickly, charging at Gajeel, who simply turned and punched him. Natsu and Gajeel were suddenly in sync instead of Sting and Rogue.

Sting and Rogue got to their feet, once again being surrounded by both of their magic. Everyone was shocked once more.

"Oh, they can activate it at will as well?" Ethan asked.

"You're being so casual about it! This is Dragon Force we're talking about _ **! Dragon Force**_!" Chilled yelled at him, continuously hitting him on the head even if it was gentle.

Sting and Rogue were covered in marks, and then Sting told Rogue to hang back, confidently saying that he could take both of them on by himself. Sting suddenly went forward, punching Natsu away. Gajeel attacked, but Sting dodged and hit him as well.

Natsu and Gajeel stopped themselves and then pushed forward, attacking Sting simultaneously. Sting dodged every attack before kicking Gajeel into the air and throwing Natsu up in another direction. He used his roar again after Natsu crashed into Gajeel, and the whole arena shook.

The ground of the arena had caved in; Natsu, Sting and Gajeel all had fallen in while Rogue stood at the edge. The ground was _**still**_ crumbling as everyone stared at it in shock. The staff put the match up on Lacrima Vision, Chapati announcing that the match would still continue.

Natsu and Gajeel were falling, and Sting was diving after them. Natsu gathered his thoughts together, pushing off of one of the walls and heading straight for Sting, his body covered in flames. He landed a hit, and then Gajeel used his roar to send Sting straight down into the ground at the bottom.

Sting stood up, shocking Natsu and Gajeel, and he attacked the both of them. Natsu and Gajeel landed, and Natsu blocked another attack from Sting. However, Sting pushed forward and sent Natsu flying into a wall. Gajeel and Natsu continued attempting to attack Sting, but Sting always ended up attacking them instead.

Natsu and Gajeel were on the ground, not moving, and Sting raised a fist into the air. Rogue walked up to Sting, having jumped down to stand beside his partner.

"Natsu..." Happy mumbled, tears brimming his eyes.

"Gajeel..." Levy mumbled, her eyes brimming with tears as well.

"What's wrong!? Get up! You're stronger than this!" Lily yelled, obviously worried about his partner.

"Even Natsu and Gajeel can't beat them!?" Wakaba asked.

"Damn, this sticks in my craw..." Macao muttered.

"Natsu-nii! Stand up!" Romeo yelled.

'This can't be real... they're stronger than this, the both of them... they should at least be trying to get up...' Fate thought, her eyes clouded with tears.

Sting and Rogue's marks went away.

"Stand up, Natsu! Gajeel!" Gray yelled.

"You can hear our voices, can't you!?" Erza asked. "The guild's thoughts are one!"

Natsu and Gajeel were suddenly standing, and everyone's cheers came out in screams. Natsu and Gajeel suddenly started arguing, which led to them having a fight that looked like a child's fight.

"Arguing at a time like this... jeez..." Fate mumbled, rubbing at her eyes to get rid of her tears.

Natsu suddenly pushed Gajeel into a mine cart, and it suddenly started moving. Because of it being transportation, Gajeel got sick and couldn't climb out as he ended up unintentionally leaving the fight. Natsu turned around, laughing at Gajeel for a moment before putting up a fist to Sting and Rogue, challenging them both of them on by himself.

Sting and Rogue went back into Dragon Force, and Sting charged at Natsu. Natsu blocked Sting's attack with barely any trouble, and Sting seemed fairly pissed off. Natsu punched through Sting's magic with his own, sending Sting flying backwards. Rogue used his roar, and so did Natsu. Even if Natsu's was used after Rogue's, fire tore straight through shadow.

Sting and Rogue charged, only to get sent away before they charged again to end up with the same result. It all repeated over and over again as everyone gave their compliments to Natsu, and then Sting and Rogue started combining their magic. In a Unison Raid, they attacked Natsu, who didn't move at all to block or dodge.

Even though no one knew the outcome, Fairy Tail knew Natsu was okay. They could feel it, and they all raised their hands with the same sign, all sharing the same meaning. They were watching, and they believed in Natsu to win.

Everyone saw fire engulfing Sting and Rogue's attacks before tearing right through it, straight to Sting and Rogue. Then, everyone waited.

Rogue fell, and then Sting fell to his knees before falling forward completely. Sabertooth's twin dragons were down.

" **The last one standing is Natsu Dragneel!** "

With this, Fairy Tail was 1st place and the 4th day of the **Grand Magic Games** ended with cheering from everyone. Except for Sabertooth.

* * *

' _That day, we believed in victory. The final day was a really hard-fought battle. Do you remember it, Lucy?  
And then... July 7_ _th_ _. We lost... to fate itself.'_

 _Sitting in a destroyed place at a desk was a certain Exceed who was writing. On the ground behind her was a heavily bandaged girl with blue hair, wearing an orange dress. The Exceed herself was heavily bandaged, more than she usually was, and her clothes were ripped and torn._

 _'That person died... That one, too... and even though I tried so hard, I lost... Even though I loved...'_

 _The Exceed started crying, her hands shaking. She was unable to continue writing as she dropped the quill in her hand, tears streaming down her face from her sapphire blue eyes._

 _"I can't express in words... Lucy... Levy might not make it, no matter how hard I've tried, I'm so sorry..."_

 _The paper was soon wet with her tears, and she started to sob loudly._

 _"I can't take it anymore... I've lost everything... Somebody, help me!" Fate begged._


	20. Dragon Graveyard, Zirconis, Eclipse

"Don't run away, you bastards!" Erza yelled.

"Is your hand okay?" Jordan asked, realizing the bandage on Ethan's right hand.

"It's more in my wrist even though it's in both, but it's nothing." Ethan replied.

"By the way, you all acted weird upon seeing that guy, Kurai Adachi. What's the relation?" Olivia asked, mostly to Fate than to anyone else.

"Kurai was a member of Grimoire Heart. When we were attacked by them on Tenroujima, he was with them. He and Ethan fought back then and Ethan won after a bit of a struggle, even if Kurai wasn't defeated for the rest of the time in their fight." Fate replied.

"Who _**actually**_ beat him?" Abygale asked.

"That would be Ruri." Fate replied.

"No, not entirely! Destiny and I probably would've been killed if you didn't step in, even when you were injured and all. You supported me, and that led to victory." Ruri said, not accepting Fate's praise.

"In any case, why didn't you and Chilled tell any of us that you both could use Dragon Force at will?" Dan asked.

"Yah, it would've kinda been nice to know." Phil said.

"We learned how when we trained together during our 3 months of training." Chilled replied.

"And your little sister? How were her and Kurai so in sync like you and Chilled were?" Minx asked, surprisingly not bugging her twin brother at the moment.

"She and Kurai met after our 7 years stuck on Tenroujima. Kurai was already a member of Lamia Scale and that was when Takanashi joined. I'm sure she learned the whole Dragon Force thing sometime within the 3 months as well." Ethan explained.

Everyone turned when the door opened, revealing Gajeel. He and Natsu talked to each other, Natsu having completely forgotten what he did to Gajeel during the match. Surprisingly, Gajeel said to forget about it.

"By the way, come with me, Salamander." Gajeel said. "There's somethin' I wanna show you. In fact, every "First Generation" Dragon Slayer, follow me."

All the Dragon Slayers exchanged looks before getting up. Their Exceeds exchanged looks as well before running after them.

"Abygale, stay with Olivia, okay? I'll be back." Fate promised.

Abygale listened to Fate without protesting, and Olivia didn't protest about taking care of Abygale either. They both knew it had to be something important, so they simply listened.

'Just stay safe…' Abygale thought.

* * *

"Why only us?"Natsu asked.

"Does it have something to do with Dragon Slayers?" Happy asked.

"Probably…" Lily replied.

"Yet we followed…" Ruri said.

"And we do have spectators…" Carla pointed out.

Lucy and Gray did happen to be following all of the Dragon Slayers and their Exceeds. Gajeel suddenly stopped.

"This is it." Gajeel said.

Everyone was shocked at what they saw.

"Animal bones?" Namine asked.

"Dragon bones…" Adam replied.

It was like a dragon graveyard… no, it _**was**_.

"Are _**all**_ of these dragon bones?" Akina asked.

"There are so many…" Chilled mumbled.

"Correction… there are _**too**_ many…" Miharu said.

"Well, at least this place confirms the existence of dragons." Minx nearly sighed.

The group continued walking.

"What's it for?" Jordan asked.

"Hell if I know." Gajeel replied.

"What's going on here?" Cathy asked.

"All of these dragons…" Rory trailed off.

"I wonder if something happened here." Destiny said.

"Maybe the other dragons are here, too…" Happy suddenly sighed in worry.

Everyone stopped walking, all of the Dragon Slayers obviously hit hard with his words.

"Happy!" Carla yelled at him, making him jump and realize what he had said.

"Sorry…" Happy apologized.

"That's okay. Igneel isn't here." Natsu stated.

"None of our dragons are." Ethan agreed.

"Our dragons disappeared 14 years ago. The remains at rest here are much more ancient." Gajeel said.

Wendy suddenly mumbled something that no one caught.

"What's wrong, Wendy?" Phil asked.

"Milky Way! It's one of the Secret Dragon Slayer spells that Porlyusica-san taught me." Wendy replied. ""Listen to the voices of the dragon souls that continue to the heavenly river". I thought it was a kind of attacking magic, but maybe this is what it referred to. Milky Way may be magic that lets me hear the voices of dragon souls."

"What?"  
"Then…"

"If I can hear the voices of these sleeping dragons, maybe we can find out what happened here. And learn what happened to our own dragons that disappeared." Wendy declared.

* * *

Wendy finished drawing ancient characters in the ground with a stick, asking everyone to back up a bit. Fate recognized the characters and followed Wendy's words, backing away. Whoever said that this little girl wasn't strong or anything of the sort was either wrong or jealous.

Wendy spoke the words of the spell and a bright green light appeared around her, filling the graveyard. There were little brighter lights in it, almost like stars. Wendy searched for a soul and when she found one, everything gathered above her. It suddenly formed a gigantic dragon, and even if it was transparent, it nearly gave them all heart attacks.

Everyone was shocked and it made the dragon laugh.

 _ **"My name is Zirconis, but I'm also known as the Jade Dragon."**_

'Jade, huh…?' Fate thought, getting out of her shock.

She suddenly felt a pair of eyes on her and she turned, making eye contact with Destiny. Destiny instantly looked away and Fate went a little pink.

'Is the first thing he thinks of when he hears Jade me?' Fate thought, looking back up at the dragon.

 _ **"The spell you used to summon my soul belonged to Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon, yes? Where are you? Hmm…?"**_

Zirconis' eyes landed on Wendy.

 _ **"Cute! This little Dragon Slayer summoned me?"**_

"Hey! Get away from Wendy!" Natsu yelled.

 _ **"Forget it! I'm going to eat this girl."**_

"Bastard!"

"Jordan, why aren't you in Natsu's place? Wendy is technically your little half-sister." Adam said.

"Zirconis is a soul at the moment, right? He can't really do anything…" Jordan replied.

Zirconis pointed it out to Natsu, who seemed pissed off.

"What happened here? Carla asked, pulling everyone back on track to the reason why they summoned Zirconis' soul in the first place.

"There are a lot of dragon remains here." Happy said.

"We summoned your soul so we could learn the truth." Lily brought Zirconis up-to-date.

 _ **"I have nothing to say to humans. Go away!"**_

"I'm a cat!" Happy pointed out.

 _ **"Okay, then. It happened over 400 years ago."**_

"Your absolute rules are pretty loose." Gray said.

"I agree that he has low standards…" Rory sighed.

 _ **"Dragons were once the rulers of this world. We thrived, flying through the air, racing across the land, and swimming in the sea. Everything in this world belonged to us. Humans were no more than our prey. But there was a foolish dragon who objected to our reign. That one spouted nonsense about building a world in which we could coexist with humans. Eventually, between the dragons who agreed and those who disagreed, a war began. I fought as one who disagreed. I have no fondness for humans. That is, unless we're talking about food."**_

"You're talking to food!" Natsu laughed.

 _ **"I don't like when it talks back either!"**_

"So what happened with the war?" Ruri asked, actually curious.

 _ **"It heated up. The battles between dragon and dragon tore up vast areas of land. Eventually, the dragons who were for coexistence devised a stupid strategy. They involved humans in the war by giving them Dragon Slayer Magic which could destroy dragons. Dragon Slayers had tremendous power. Victory for the dragons that chose to coexist with humans was imminent. However, they had made one miscalculation.  
The Dragon Slayers, who had been given too much power, killed even the dragons who wished to live peacefully with them. And there was one man among the humans who bathed in the blood of too many dragons. I fear to even say that name. He continued to destroy dragons and bathe in their blood. Presently, his skin turned to scales, his teeth to fangs… He transformed into a dragon himself.  
That's what Dragon Slayer Magic leads to. The dragons resting in peace here were all murdered by that man. Though human, he became the Dragon King. The Dragon King initiated another war. That was the Festival of the Dragon King. The king's name was Acnologia.  
A dragon with pitch-black wings unlike any other dragon…"**_

Everyone was shocked upon hearing the name, even scared.

"He was originally a human…? _**That**_ dragon that trapped us on Tenroujima for 7 years… the one we were _**helpless**_ against…?" Phil asked.

 _ **"He slaughtered most of the dragons. That was 400 years ago. You people did this…"**_

Zirconis suddenly faded away.

"That's it. All of the souls in this place have gone. In Eastern terms, I suppose it would be called "entering Nirvana"." Wendy said.

"That was one hell of a history lesson." Gray sighed.

"The scale's too big for me!" Lucy whined.

"If you use too much Dragon Slayer Magic, you turn into a real dragon!?" Natsu asked.

"That would be bad!"  
"What should we do!?"  
"That shouldn't even be possible!"  
"What the hell are we even supposed to do about it, though!?"

All the Dragon Slayers started freaking out.

"That's impossible."

Everyone jumped, looking over to see 2 people.

"Who are you!?" Wendy asked.

"I overheard everything. Our research is in accord with historical fact. You people know about Zeref's Demons, don't you? Acnologia is similar to that. We believe that Zeref turned a Dragon Slayer into Acnologia. In other words, destroying Zeref, the root of all evil, will be the first step in the subjugation of Acnologia."

"Who are you!?" Gajeel asked.

"Destroy Zeref!?" Natsu asked. Lucy suddenly recognized one of the people in front of them.

"You're Yukino!" Lucy pointed out.

"But, who…?" Natsu asked, confused as to who was with Yukino.

"I am Arcadios, Captain of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knights, the kingdom of Fiore's military corps stationed in Crocus." The man explained.

"What's a military big cheese doing here?" Adam asked.

"Yukino… But you…" Lucy trailed off.

"… Were a member of Sabertooth." Lily finished.

"You said they kicked you out, right?" Happy asked.

"Yes. That's correct." Yukino replied.

"I'll explain." Arcadios suggested. "The power of a Celestial Spirit Wizard was necessary to the secrecy of the operation. And so, I'm relying on the assistance of Sergeant Yukino."

"What do you mean you needed the power of a Celestial Spirit Wizard?" Chilled asked.

"Wait a second! I'm lost here!" Natsu yelled. "Skip the annoying details! Just tell us what you want!"

"Natsu Dragneel-kun, yes? Your previous event was a marvelous magic battle." Arcadios stated.

Natsu growled and stomped his foot down, getting close.

"I don't give a damn about that. I wanna know about this "Celestial Spirit Wizard is necessary" business. If you got somethin' to say, spit it out!" Natsu yelled.

"Natsu, I think you already know this, but Arcadios is a VIP." Namine said.

"You could be getting us in a real problem right now." Akina said.

"Follow me." Arcadios ordered, turning around and walking in the direction him and Yukino came from.

* * *

Every stood in front of the castle of Mercurius, and soon followed both Arcadios and Yukino inside.

"The **Grand Magic Games** were camouflage to absorb a great quantity of wizards' magic power." Arcadios stated.

"So every year, you stole magic from wizards?" Minx asked.

"Camouflage?" Rory asked.

"That's terrible…" Dan mumbled.

"That's really low." Gajeel sighed.

"Say what you wish. I did it all for a certain plan." Arcadios said.

Everyone stopped upon seeing what was ahead.

"What is that…?" Miharu asked.

"Eclipse, the portal that will change the world." Arcadios replied. "A great deal of magic power was required to construct it."

"Portal?" Lucy asked.

"What the hell is it?" Natsu asked.

"When the sun and moon are in conjunction, the 12 Keys will be used to open the door." Arcadios replied. "When it's opened, the plan is to travel back 400 years in time and murder Zeref before he can become immortal. That is the Eclipse Project!"

Everyone was shocked.

"T-Travel through time!?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy-sama, I've heard time flows differently between the Celestial Spirit World and our own. The idea is to use the Celestial Spirit World's dimensional boundary line and the power of a Celestial Spirit Wizard to open this door." Yukino explained.

"Originally, the plan called for possible use of pseudo-Celestial Spirit magic in place of the real thing. But having the true Celestial Spirit Wizard and the 12 Keys would guarantee the success of the project. I could say that aspect is indispensable. The sun and moon will overlap 3 days hence, on July 7th. I would like your assistance, Lucy-dono." Arcadios said.

"July 7th…" Jordan mumbled.

"The day our dragons disappeared…" Wendy said.

"Is it just a coincidence?" Gajeel asked.

"" _ **There's no such thing as coincidence. Only inevitability.**_ "." Ethan quoted someone.

"The eclipse, when the sun and moon are in conjunction…" Gray trailed off.

"Get real!"

Everyone looked down in shock, because it had been Fate who said it. She crossed her arms over her chest and nearly glared at Arcadios.

"Whatever comment you may have, I suggest you say it." Arcadios said.

"Let's all admit, we want Zeref and Acnologia dead. Hell, even the Magic Council wants everything to be over. But no one is going to be able to "fix" it by going back in time. If there's something I've learned by living in this world, it's that you need to face your problems then and there, right here and right now.  
Going back in time is going to screw up a lot of our future, exactly where we're standing right now. The problem is that Zeref and Acnologia have done so much that it's nearly impossible to count everything they've done.  
If you go back in time and kill Zeref, stopping Acnologia, a lot will have changed.  
Grimoire Heart would've had no purpose,  
the Tower of Heaven would have gone another way, meaning we might not even have Erza in Fairy Tail afterwards,  
being stuck on Tenroujima probably wouldn't have happened,  
I don't think magic guilds might even exist,  
and right now, we wouldn't be standing here right now. There may have never been a dragon graveyard under Domus Flau, and the **Grand Magic Games** might have never even existed for any reason." Fate explained.

Everyone was silent.

"There's so much more than those reasons and you know it. Think about that for a good rest-of-your-life. I understand that it's for a good purpose and that Zeref is immortal right now, but there's always a way for some sort of immortal to die." Fate said.

"For the first time, pipsqueak is making a good point." Rory sighed.

Everyone seemed to register it through their heads slowly.

"A solar eclipse…"

All of the sudden, the group was surrounded by army soldiers with weapons drawn.

"Surrender peacefully, Captain Arcadios."

They all turned to see a small old man making his way towards them.

"Minister of Defense, what is the meaning of this!?" Arcadios asked.

"That is my line. Leaking details of a top secret plan and state military secrets to outsiders is abominable." The Minister of Defense replied.

"They're not outsiders! You know this. These people have a critical role to play in the success of the operation."

"That's not a simple matter for you to arbitrarily decide on."

"You're just opposed to the plan, aren't you!? I want you to stop this nonsense immediately!"

"Of course I'm opposed to it! Just as said before, changing history! Can you even slightly imagine the inherent dangers, boy!?"

"I'm not opposed to the plan… everyone just has to know that whatever happens would be on our shoulders…" Fate mumbled.

"It's fair to say…" Rory mumbled.

"Arrest Captain Arcadios on suspicion of treason!" The Minister of Defense ordered. "Arrest Yukino Agria and Lucy Heartfilia, too! Throw everyone else out!"

Natsu tried to use magic, but Arcadios yelled at him now to. In an instant, the Eclipse portal emitted a bright light and Natsu's fire disappeared, all of his magic being taken from him.

* * *

Everyone was thrown out, and Natsu ended up with Magic Deficiency Syndrome. When Carla said he might not be able to move for awhile, Fate started to heal him.

"You can't heal Magic Deficiency Syndrome, can you?" Destiny asked.

"Maybe not with Wendy's kind of magic… but, I don't heal with magic. I heal with Noroi, so it's different. I can at least get him moving in the slightest in a couple of hours. He didn't have too much taken from him, so I shouldn't have to exhaust myself either." Fate explained.

"I want you to understand that this isn't my own will. It's all on behalf of the state." The Minister of Defense said. "But I can give you one piece of advice. His Majesty is fond of Fairy Tail. If you win the **Grand Magic Games** , I'll grant you an audience with the king. Knowing how kind he is, he may consider the matter of your friend's treatment. May you have grand magic battles."

* * *

"So they involved her in a plan we know almost nothing about…" Makarov trailed off.

"In other words, what? Unless we win the **Grand Magic Games** , we won't get Lucy back?" Laxus asked.

"Although I don't know if we can trust that, either." Gray replied.

"Right…" Juvia agreed.

"Who gives a crap about that!? I'm gonna rescue Lucy right now!" Natsu yelled.

He was tied to a pillar and the rope was barely holding out.

"Maybe you should've left him with his Magic Deficiency Syndrome, Fate." Miharu said. Fate sighed.

"We can't act recklessly against the kingdom, but on the other hand, they can't afford to treat their citizens too shabbily either. Maybe we can think of her as a hostage who'll be kept until this Project Eclipse is cancelled." Makarov said.

"That's a pain in the ass." Minx said.

"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would they let the rest of us go when we heard the same state secrets?" Gajeel asked.

"It's got nothin' to do with makin' sense!" Natsu yelled.

"It's also possible we've been released as witnesses to eventually help convict Arcadios." Lily said.

"Why…?" Namine asked.

"When there's danger of top secret information spreading…" Carla trailed off.

"Maybe they decided it can't be hidden any longer." Charles said.

"If they'd captured the whole lot of us, we wouldn't be able to leak info, right?" Gray asked.

"You're participants in the **Grand Magic Games** , right? If you suddenly didn't appear tomorrow, people would take notice." Mira said.

"I don't think even the kingdom wants to make an enemy out of a wizard guild." Juvia said.

"To us, it's ridiculous that Lucy's been taken captive, but it isn't a breach of the royal army's sense of justice." Erza said.

Natsu broke out of the rope.

"Enough jawin'! I'm gonna rescue her!" Natsu yelled.

Makarov brought a heavy fist down on top of Natsu, who shut up immediately.

"Stifle it! This ain't a festival where the whole family gets captured. We all feel the same way. This time, just charging ahead without thinking isn't gonna work. Still, we're not cowards who're gonna take it lying down either. We're Fairy Tail!"

* * *

"Do you think this'll work, though?" Cass asked.

The whole group was walking back to their inns together since they were in the same direction.

"Well, we gotta do something." Olivia replied.

"Hey, you okay? Destiny asked, noticing the look Fate had on her face.

"Changing history is a stupid thing to do, no matter the reason…" Fate replied.

Abygale didn't look up at her like she usually would.

"It's okay. We'll kill 2 birds with one stone; we'll save Lucy and win the **Grand Magic Games**." Minx said.

"By the way, the members for tomorrow's games stayed behind with the First Master, right?" Renee asked.

"I have a bad feeling about them…" Max sighed.

"Right with you…" Fate agreed.

"You haven't said anything lately, James." Olivia said, worried about her best friend.

"There's been so much going on, where is there to really speak?" James asked.

"Fair enough." Olivia sighed in reply.

Fate felt Abygale's fingers briefly brush against hers and she looked down at the younger Exceed only to see her falling forwards. Fate quickly grabbed Abygale, falling onto her knees with the younger Exceed in her arms.

Everyone stopped, most of them having witnessed the fall.

"Hey, Abygale, what's wrong?" Fate asked softly.

The lilac purple Exceed was breathing heavily and her azure blue eyes were wide as she stared at the ground. Her nose started to bleed and she started to mutter things under her breath. Fate shook her a little.

"Abygale, are you okay…?" Fate asked quietly.

Abygale pulled her ears down over her head and she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"What's wrong?" Fate asked again.

" _ **ネイト**_ _ **...**_ _ **タナー**_ _ **...**_ _ **追わ**_ _ **...**_ _ **悪魔**_ _ **...**_ "

Fate couldn't understand her, despite being able to speak _**spells**_ with the language Abygale was using.

"Abygale, I don't understand…" Fate sighed.

" _ **Nate**_ …"

Fate jumped when she heard the name. Nate…? Who was Nate? Abygale suddenly fell asleep against Fate's shoulder.

"Nate…?" Destiny asked, having heard the name.

"Who's Nate?" Cass asked, everyone hearing Destiny.

"I don't know…" Fate replied.

* * *

"Why is Abygale important?"

Nate hadn't expected Tanner's question, but he didn't have to think.

"Abygale's going to help save the world." Nate replied.

"Who's helping her, then?" Tanner asked.

"Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, the Angel of Light and I. The Angel of Darkness is not the start of it all, nor would she barely be the end." Nate replied.

"Sounds like you have a lot on your shoulders."

"Just a bit… How much further?"

"Not much."


	21. Better with Friends

" **It's the start of the final day of the wizards' passionate festival, the Grand Magic Games! Like it or not, only one guild will be victorious today!** "

"Oh, Destiny! Huh, where's Fate and Abygale?" Namine asked, noticing the green Exceed flying in and sitting down.

"Fate staying with Abygale because Abygale got a fever… She keeps having freak-outs like the one last night. Fate told me that I should be here, and that I had to cheer on the team extra hard for her and Abygale because she immensely doubted that they would get to know anything that would be going on." Destiny explained.

"I wonder who Nate is and why he's affecting Abygale so much…" Ruri sighed.

"There's a lot we have yet to learn about the little girl. For now, we should leave it to Fate and do as she told Destiny to." Rory said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

"LET GO OF ME! LET GO!" Abygale screamed, struggling against Fate's grip.

"Abygale, please stop! Why are you freaking out like this!?" Fate asked.

"LET GO! THIS IS THE END, SO JUST LET GO!"

Fate wrapped her arms around Abygale, holding the crying, screaming little Exceed to her chest.

"Abygale, I can't read minds no matter how much I may want to! I'm dense and clueless when it comes to this kind of stuff, so please! Cooperate and tell me, who is Nate?" Fate asked, completely calm on the outside, but completely freaking out on the inside.

Abygale sobbed against Fate's chest because answering her question.

"He's been in my nightmares since I was born. He's been communicating with me… he's trying to get to Fairy Tail right now, but it's taking him forever to even get to another hall. He thinks that I'm going to save the world, but that's not the truth…" Abygale explained.

"What's the truth?" Fate asked.

"He and I are just pieces… Rory, Ruri and Destiny are pieces… we're going to be right behind _**you**_. Nate is going to come here and tell _**you**_ … _**you're**_ going to save the world…"

Fate shook her head.

"Abygale, it's all one big nightmare, okay? I couldn't save my older brother, my Mom, my Dad, my little sister… I couldn't save Jonah… there's no way I'd be able to save the world." Fate said.

"But you're going to… you'll see. You'll know, you'll believe it all when Nate gets here with Tanner and the others…" Abygale seemed to promise, nearly trailing off as she fell back to sleep.

Fate rested Abygale down on Ethan's bed, as her partner said that Abygale might feel better on a more comfortable bed than the make-shift one that he had helped make on the ground, and pulled the sheets and the blanket over the young lilac purple Exceed's body.

There was a sudden sound from the balcony and Fate ran over, opening one of the doors. She nearly screamed when the cloaked Exceeds landed in front of her. Giggles held out something, and Fate gently took it.

"It's something they use to put up Lacrima Vision. We heard about you and the little Exceed staying behind and figured that you should have some way to cheer for your team." The cloaked Exceed that reminded her of her Dad explained.

"Thank you so much… Abygale really didn't want to miss the games; you guys are life-savers…" Fate said.

"You aren't going to ask why we're even here?" Giggles asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"No."

"Then there's not much of a point, is there?"

"No…"

Fate smiled.

"Fate…?"

Fate turned and all 5 of the Exceeds looked up at Abygale, who was looking down at them.

"Who are they…?" Abygale asked.

"Just some friends, there's no need to worry. They brought us a Lacrima Vision thing, so we can watch the games." Fate replied.

"We can cheer on Ethan-nii and the others…?"

"Yah."

Abygale seemed to think about something, before she asked a question they weren't expecting.

"Can they join us? It's better to watch with friends, right?" Abygale asked.

Fate turned to them, asking them if it was okay for them to stay.

"Well, we have no reason not to…"

Fate loved the smile on Abygale's face when she heard that.

* * *

 _ **"Now, the teams are taking the field!" Mato, the sponsor, announced.**_

 _"_ _ **Currently in 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **place! Can they turn it around!? Formerly a hunting dog, now a puppy! Quatro Puppy!  
Alright, next on the field… Blue Pegasus, led by the current master of parfum, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki!  
Here they are! Lamia Scale is on the field!**_ _"_

"Takanashi-nee is there, right?" Abygale asked.

Abygale was leaning against the bed frame, supported by pillows. The rest of them were sitting on the bed, with Fate the closest to her. Fate nodded.

"Now that I think of it, they have a power-packed team.  
Lyon rivals with Gray,  
Chelia is a God Slayer,  
Jura is one of the 10 Wizard Saints,  
Takanashi is a Dragon Slayer,  
Yuka is a good defense-type,  
Toby is one you'd use for distraction, not to be rude,  
and then there's Kurai. He's a God Slayer and he matches Ethan and Chilled both.  
Ethan's right hand and wrist are still injured, I wonder if it'll bug him…" Fate sighed.

"Wendy-nee healed it, right? I think it'll be okay." Abygale said. Fate nodded again.

 _"_ _ **And sharing 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **place with Lamia Scale is… Mermaid Heel!  
And currently in 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **place! Will they remain dethroned!? Will the 2 Dragon Slayers, the Twin Dragons, Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, challenge Natsu and Gajeel again!? And if so, what will the results of that rematch be!? Sabertooth takes the field!**_ _"_

"I wonder how Lector is feeling after Sting lost. I mean, we all have respect for our partners… Fate said.

"I thought you didn't like him because he kept hitting on you while you already have Destiny?" Abygale asked.

"Eh, you're in a relationship?" Giggles asked.

"No! Abygale, what have I told you about that? There's nothing going on between Destiny and I. And it's perfectly normal to be worried about a fellow Exceed, alright?" Fate asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yah, yah, keep telling yourself that." Abygale replied.

Fate could hear the other Exceeds chuckling at Abygale's response.

 _"_ _ **Huh? It seems their mood has changed somehow.**_ _"_

They all looked up, noticing the mood-change of Sabertooth.

"Maybe something really is wrong…" Abygale mumbled.

 _"_ _ **And currently in 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **place! Will this be the day the so-called strongest guild 7 years ago comes back in full force!? Fairy Tail is taking the field!**_ _"_

There was a sudden moment of silence,

 _"_ _ **W-What!? They've changed the members! This is an unexpected development!**_ _"_

"Where's Natsu?"

Fate smiled at the question.

"He and some others are going to go save Lucy while the others fight and cheer." Fate replied.

'Good luck… Gray, Laxus, Erza, Gajeel, Juvia, Ethan, Chilled… and Natsu, Wendy, Mira, Happy, Lily, Carla…' Fate thought.


	22. The Grand Magic Game: Talks & Helping

_"_ _ **Who will attain the glorious peak of magic!? Let the Grand Magic Game begin!**_ _"_

"What the hell are you watching!?" Tanner asked, noticing Nate falling behind a bit.

Nate was using both kinds of his magic to make a small screen, just so he could watch the event that Fairy Tail was participating in. He didn't exactly have anything else to do but follow Tanner anyway.

"The **Grand Magic Games**... it's an event to decide Fiore's number one guild, and Fairy Tail is participating. Today's the last day, and it's a 5 day event. I just thought I'd watch to support them." Nate replied.

"We have our own problems, Nate! If you believe in them, check in later to find out that they've won! Time flows differently here than it does out there in the world right now, and we're literally 40 feet away from where we're going! Put that away and help me!" Tanner yelled.

"Okay..."

* * *

 _"_ _ **W-What's wrong!? The members of Fairy Tail have their eyes closed and aren't moving!**_ _"_

Fate looked up upon hearing what she just had. She was just getting a glass of water for Abygale because the younger girls' throat had been feeling scratchy.

'What are they doing?' Fate thought.

They must've been doing it for a good reason. They wouldn't mess around, especially not with Lucy on the line. But that just left why they would stay _**vulnerable**_.

Fate sighed, and her sigh was cut off by sharp pains in her lower abdomen. She knew that it was more cramps from being pregnant. She and Mira went over some things whenever they could, and Fate learned that she would be at 11 or 12 weeks by now.

Her feeling hot every now and then was due to the increase in the amount of blood in her body, but that wasn't what bugged her. What bugged her was the very, very small bump that was slowly growing. Only she knew about it, minus Mira, and she hadn't told Destiny much about everything. Every time he asked, she distracted him by bringing up baby names.

"Fuck off a bit, buddy..." Fate muttered, the pain increasing to higher levels than usual.

"Are you okay?"

Fate jumped, turning to see the Exceed that reminded her of her Mom. She nodded, focusing on her breathing to make sure she could talk without showing that she was in pain.

"Y-Yah, I'm alright." Fate replied.

The Exceed seemed to think about it for a moment, and Fate could almost _**hear**_ her raising an eyebrow at her.

"You know, I'm 3 times a Mother." She stated.

Fate nearly scoffed, knowing that the Exceed knew she was pregnant.

" _ **3**_ times?" Fate asked.

"Yes... 2 of mine are with their father and the little Exceed, and we lost our middle child." She replied.

"How'd you lose them...?" Fate asked.

"We didn't take care of her probably and she slipped right through our fingers... you remind us of her, and that's one of the reasons we want to protect you. It adds onto the "professional" reason."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. It's not like it was your fault."

Fate bit her lip, turning around completely to face the Exceed.

"What's it like...? Having this _**life**_ around almost all the time, one that you... _**made**_...?" Fate asked.

"No matter how many you have, they're all precious. Even when they're adopted, they're precious, but... knowing that you made a life that might eventually be in your exact spot right now is... it's amazing, seeing that. Holding them in your arms is the only thing you'll ever need in your life. An extra wonderful thing is having someone who'll be there to support you no matter what... and no matter how much of a brat that little person can get to be." She explained.

Fate laughed a bit.

"Do you have someone like that?" She asked. Fate nodded, surprisingly, even to herself, without hesitation.

"I do... His name is Destiny." Fate replied.

"That's ironic."

"Tell me about it..."

"Do you know the baby's gender, or do you have any names picked out or anything like that?"

Fate shook her head, sighing at her reason for not thinking of any.

"Why not...?" The Exceed asked.

Fate sighed again, looking down at her feet.

"... I didn't _**want**_ this baby..."

The Exceed walked over, putting an arm over Fate's shoulders as her eyes started to brim with tears. She rubbed one of her hands up and down Fate's arm in comfort as Fate rested her head on her shoulder.

"Do you have a reason for not wanting it?" She asked.

"I want it now... I want it so I can show that I'm strong, and so I can raise it to be a good person." Fate replied.

"But did you have a reason for not wanting it before?"

"I still think that I don't want it sometimes... sometimes I hate it so much... but it's not its fault that I was weak and that I was assaulted by the same Exceed who killed Jonah."

* * *

" **Finally! Fairy Tail has finally started to move!** "

"Jeez... I can hear Chapati from here, man..." Ethan sighed.

"Can't blame anyone. We were standing there for awhile." Chilled said.

The 2 boys were running through the town together, avoiding every direction that they could hear footsteps in above their own. They had one job and one job only before meeting up with the others afterwards, and that was to fight some very certain people.

Many of the teams had brought out their 6th members for the final battle, and it was Ethan and Chilled's job to take all of the non-5-main-members down. That included Kurai and Takanashi.

"It makes me wonder. Why does Lamia Scale have 7 as well?" Chilled asked.

"Remember what Kurai said? Our fight decided if he stayed among the legal guilds or not, so it was probably a special thing arranged by the staff and the Council." Ethan replied.

"Makes more sense than most things."

 _ **"Ignore the lights in the sky and in 2 seconds, you can dodge it."**_

"Rufus from Sabertooth, no doubt." Ethan sighed.

In exactly 2 seconds, the 2 boys moved, dodging the lights that crashed to the ground, before continuing to run.

 _ **"Ethan, Chilled, right around the corner there's someone for you to take down."**_

Ethan and Chilled turned the corner, their magic ready to use straight away, as a boy turned around in fear. He had blonde hair and dark blue eyes, and he nearly screamed when the 2 other boys found him. He quickly put his hands together.

" _ **Air-Make: Eagles!**_ "

Ethan and Chilled quickly moved out of the way of the attack, not having expected the kind of magic that the boy used, and Ethan didn't hesitate to attack the boy after he balanced himself. With the boy on the ground, who was found to be Daxton Butler from Blue Pegasus, Ethan and Chilled continued running north.

* * *

"Understand the situation for one second, Nate!"

Nate didn't flinch under Tanner's voice anymore because he had gotten used to it. She was searching for the right key out of the ring of keys that she had and he was at least keeping up with the statistics for the **Grand Magic Games**. He understood the situation, but he had time to check while she was searching, so he was checking.

"Why are you helping us?"

Nate cancelled out his magic, glancing over his shoulder at the group of Exceeds that were in the cell. The one who had asked the question was a dark purple, but only because of her condition, and had seal brown eyes.

"Because we need you." Nate replied. Tanner had explained why, and he understood completely.

"But _**why**_?" She asked.

"There's someone who's waiting for all of you, and you're waiting for her. She's going to need all of your support."

"Who and why?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"You're very brief about every single thing you say.

"She's going to save the world."

The Exceed was quiet for a moment, registering everything.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Nate. What about you?" Nate asked.

She seemed to take a deep breath, sighing softly. She looked back at her group, who looked up at her, before she looked back at Nate.

"Krystal Eve."

* * *

"Juvia vs. Chelia... Erza vs. Minerva, you said... what about the others?" Destiny asked.

"You'll see... Just now, Ethan and Chilled are coming up on their main fight." Mavis replied.

Everyone instantly looked up, watching Ethan and Chilled as they ran on the Lacrima Vision.

'We all have to cheer extra hard for Fate and Abygale...' Destiny thought, thinking of his girlfriend and the younger Exceed.

The word felt weird to use. 'Girlfriend' didn't seem... right, despite their relationship. To him, Fate was who she was and who she was happened to be his lover. She was doing her best to take care of Abygale, just as he wanted to, and they were both like parental figures to Abygale. He knew that.

'It's okay. Don't think about it; just do what they asked you to.'

* * *

Ethan and Chilled were expecting to be ambushed, and they were able to dodge the attacks that were aimed at them. They knew exactly who they were going up against, it wasn't much of a surprise that Mavis had laid it out and written it in stone.

"It may have been a draw last time, but it won't be this time."  
"I'm sorry, Ethan-nii."

Once again, it was Ethan and Chilled against Kurai and Takanashi. Except this time, only one pair would be walking away with points.

"We'd like to apologize as well. We won't be holding back this time."  
"We'll be going full-out from the start and we won't stop until we're down, or you are."

All 4 nodded and they got ready to fight each other, but Ethan and Chilled were suddenly surrounded by white light. It was some sort of magic and even they were confused for a moment, but then they both smiled.

"Support from someone else?" Kurai asked, looking around.

"No... Just a reminder. Right, Ethan?" Chilled asked.

"Right... a reminder to win." Ethan replied.

'We'll win, Fate... I promise. Just take care of Abygale for us.'

Fate put her hands over her heart, smiling and nodding.

'Go get 'em, partner.'

Ethan grinned as the light went away, but the warm feeling stayed behind in his heart. He made eye contact with Chilled and they both nodded. They looked back at the pair of members from Lamia Scale and activated their Dragon Force right off the bat.

Takanashi nodded, understanding their seriousness, and she let her hair out, activating her Dragon Force as well. All 4 of them made eye contact before each of them charged, barely being seen.

Ethan and Takanashi attacked each other at the same time, causing them to throw each other back. Takanashi barely had a moment to rest, as Chilled attacked her from behind. Luckily, Kurai had her back and he shielded her by raising the ground behind her, nearly making Chilled lose his footing.

Chilled returned to Ethan side and they waited for Takanashi to stand before charging once again, each of them attacking their opponents. Kurai couldn't block and Takanashi couldn't counter, so they were both sent flying across the street by the Fairy Tail Mages.

When they got up, Kurai used an attack that neither of them had witnessed before, and they suddenly lost sight of the Lamia Scale Mages. The boys stood back-to-back before Kurai and Takanashi made themselves known, attacking them. Ethan and Chilled split up, dodging the attacks. Kurai suddenly hit Ethan from behind; distracting Chilled for long enough in order for Takanashi to hit him.

Ethan and Chilled immediately got up, counterattacking before kicking the Lamia Scale Mages with their magic. By then, each pair was matched. Takanashi used an attack that raised the ground in many different areas, destroying the streets to try and separate Ethan and Chilled again. The boys made eye contact, having understood Takanashi's intention, and they grabbed each other's wrists, holding onto each other tightly as they jumped to dodge.

There was a little bit of trouble, but they both looked back at each other and let go of each other's wrists, diving down to attack Takanashi and Kurai. Since the pair wasn't expecting it, Ethan and Chilled were able to hit them directly.

The 2 boys stopped to catch their breath as Takanashi and Kurai stood up straight. When all 4 Mages seemed ready to fight again, Takanashi and Kurai went first. Ethan and Chilled knew from their stance that they were casting what they did before to make them use their Dragon Force the last time, and they both smirked.

When it was thought that the attack had hit, and that they hadn't blocked or dodged, Takanashi and Kurai high-fived calmly. That was before they noticed something that would be their downfall.

Ethan and Chilled had blocked the attack in a way that absorbed the power, making it their own. Takanashi and Kurai tried to get ready to block or to dodge, but the Fairy Tail Mages were too quick.

They used the magic, fusing it with their own, and they both attacked the Lamia Scale Mages.

When they were able to see the result, they cancelled out their Dragon Force and they fist-bumped. Kurai and Takanashi were on the ground, defeated and unconscious. Ethan and Chilled didn't really have a moment to rest because they had others to quickly take down before they had to meet up with the others.

They ran off, and when they were out of sight, Takanashi rolled onto her back with a sigh.

"He's too strong. He always has been." Takanashi stated.

"You may repeat that for both of them. Fairy Tail... even with Jura, there's no way that we'll win. No matter how much _**we**_ want to win, or the other guilds, Fairy Tail... they have 7 years to make up for and they're going to do it with a bang." Kurai declared.

Takanashi nodded, smiling as she breathed in the summer air, exhaling soon afterwards.

'Terra knew it, too, Ethan-nii...'

* * *

Destiny was just as clueless as everyone else of what to do about the First Master's tears. Her calculation had been off by a bit, as Erza had clashed with Kagura and then Minerva had gotten between them. Everyone was afraid of Mavis bursting into tears, since she was already near to crying. That was when Rory spoke up.

"First Master, I can use Calculation Magic. It's very advanced and I'm one of the few users... but I never would've been able to do anything like this. There's an obvious reason why you have the nickname "Fairy Tactician". But no matter how strong the amount of calculations there are for something like this, it can't be completely calculated all the way through. Feelings overcome calculations, you said it yourself. That counts in this kind of way as well. With the amount of calculations you have, it's still amazing and you still have a solid plan. A couple of throw-offs aren't going to ruin everything. I'm surprised because I'd think that you would know all of that." Rory stated.

Destiny wanted to shrink away from Rory, his logic almost overwhelming. He had always wondered why Ruri and Rory got along other than being childhood friends, and now he understood why. They both shared each other's attributes and kept each other on their feet. Both were strong and both were kind, and they were always bumping each other back and forth to stay in the middle.

It made Destiny wonder if he could stay in the middle as well and if he could manage to keep Fate in the middle. Maybe it was the other way around and he just didn't know it.

* * *

Minerva had bailed on the fight, saying stupid things about being a "king" and how a king must win every battle set before them. Erza and Kagura fought, leaving Erza on the edge because of Kagura's strength. They talked about many things, one of them being how Jellal killed Simon, who happened to be Kagura's older brother.

Erza suddenly recalled the story and told the truth, in which she put as her weakness being the death of Simon. He protected Erza from Jellal's magic and died from taking the hit directly.

It made Fate think about Jonah and his death. Was her weakness the reason for his death? Maybe it was her stupidity, or maybe it really was the fault of that that excuse for an Exceed.

She could see Kagura's anger, and all in a moment Kagura drew her sword. Fate stared at the screen in front of her and the others with wide eyes, acting quickly to cover Abygale's eyes. Why had she let the younger Exceed watch the games in the first place? She was far too young for all of the violence.

'God, I really sound like a mother...' Fate thought.

No one knew what actually happened though, and Fate was more relieved than ever to see that Erza was alive and okay. She had blocked Kagura's sword with her own, and the relief overwhelmed Fate. She uncovered Abygale's eyes, seeing that the younger Exceed was confused, before covering her own face with her hands.

'Thank goodness... you scared the living Hell out of me, Erza...'

* * *

Erza and Kagura seemed to come to a draw with each other, but before Kagura could finish what she was saying, Minerva stabbed her through the stomach with her own sword. Minerva dropped Millianna onto the ground and Erza realized that Millianna was bleeding from her back. Minerva revealed that she had gotten bored waiting and amused herself by hurting Millianna.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gajeel and Rogue had fought and they had talked about many different little things. Rogue suddenly freaked out, acting really weird. Rogue suddenly attacked Gajeel, who tried to fight back, but couldn't do so.

It wasn't Rogue anymore, though. It was something... possessing him, perhaps? Gajeel couldn't fight back and he fell onto the ground after being strangled by whatever was possessing Rogue. Gajeel suddenly did something, and everyone noticed that it was him _**eating**_ the shadows.

Gajeel suddenly went into the Iron Shadow form, gaining power from it, and "Rogue" seemed irritated and shocked.

* * *

Gajeel had won, and everyone knew that. Rogue was unconscious in front of him and Gajeel was announced the winner. Everyone suddenly noticed a certain Exceed on screen when he spoke up, telling Gajeel to stop. Frosch was protecting Rogue.

 _"_ _ **Rogue will die! Don't hurt him anymore!**_ _"_

Gajeel kneeled down, promising the little Exceed that he wouldn't even touch Rogue because the match was over. Rogue didn't seem to remember anything, and the sun was finally setting.

* * *

Jura approached Laxus and Orga, who had been prepared to fight each other. Jura took a dare from Orga and almost in an instant; Orga was knocked out by him. Every knew that Laxus was nervous about even being near Jura in a battle field like that, they could see it clearly even through the Lacrima Vision. Laxus dropped his coat, signifying to everyone that he was going to be serious about the battle.

Laxus charged at Jura and didn't even get a small chance to hit him before Jura hit him, sending him straight into the ground.

 _"_ _ **In this world, there is always someone above you.**_ _"_ Jura stated.

 _"_ _ **I know that all too well.**_ _"_

Everyone was relieved, and kind of shocked if they were being honest, that Laxus was still conscious and that he was slowly getting up.

 _"_ _ **But sometimes, you need to look down, too. 'Cause the other guy might be at your feet!**_ _"_ Laxus yelled, standing up and punching Jura in the jaw.

That brought them into a huge battle, the both of them equals with each other. They exchanged words after exchanging many punches and kicks.

* * *

While Laxus and Jura fought, so did Erza and Minerva. Erza took many attacks from Minerva before fighting back, being able to exchange attacks and hits equally as well. Erza suddenly released Second Origin, changing into another armor called Nakagami Armor.

* * *

Gray and Juvia were fighting against Lyon and Chelia, who suddenly started fighting because Lyon didn't want to attack Juvia. Gray and Juvia held hands and Gray suggested hitting them with all of their magic, to which Juvia agreed.

* * *

Laxus hit Jura with a Dragon Slayer Secret Art, knocking him out and becoming victorious.

* * *

Gray and Juvia did a Unison Raid, knocking out Lyon and Chelia. They continued holding hands and Gray asked how long Juvia would continue holding his, and she said forever, grabbing onto his arm lovingly. It made Gray freak out, shivers being sent up his spine.

* * *

Minerva tried attacking Erza, but Erza cut through her magic. With one hit, Erza sent Minerva flying and she was knocked out, leaving Erza with her victory.

* * *

Sting was the only one left. Either he would win, or Fairy Tail would win and they would most likely win with all of their members still standing. The sun completely set, revealing the full moon that shone high in the sky that particular night. Everyone cheered Fairy Tail's name despite Sting still being left.

* * *

Erza, Gray, Juvia, Laxus, Gajeel, Ethan and Chilled saw the Sabertooth insignia in the sky and they knew that it was Sting. Despite their injured selves, some more than others, they all headed towards it. This was the end and they knew it.

They arrived in front of Sting, all together. They were all standing, even with their injuries, and Sting didn't have a single scratch.

"What a spectacular sight. All of you are wizards I looked up to 7 years ago." Sting stated.

"Can the chatter. This is the final battle." Gajeel declared.

"We'll be you one on one. Who do you want?" Gray asked.

"All at once is fine. With your injuries, one on one would be boring." Sting replied.

Ethan tasted the blood from the cut on the right side of his bottom lip. He'd never forget to metallic taste, not after everything. He knew exactly what the others were thinking, and they knew exactly what he was. Each and every one of them knew what each and every one of them was thinking.

"You'd better not underestimate Fairy Tail." Juvia said.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I'm treating you guys with respect." Sting stated. "That's why I'm gonna crush you all together! I've been waiting for this. I'm gonna show Lector how strong I am!"

"Lector?" Chilled asked.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, but are you serious?" Laxus asked.

"I'm serious! I got stronger! Losing Lector has awakened new strength! For Lector's sake… For my best friend's sake… I'm gonna beat all of you!" Sting replied.

"Fine. If you're that prepared... Then we'll fight you, Sting!" Erza decided.

"That's what I want to hear."

Everyone waited while Sting was surrounded by his magic, stating that he would show them his newly-awakened power. Sting opened his eyes from closing them, having been chuckling, and his eyes widened as he gasped.

In the glory of the moonlight, with the moon straight behind them, stood all 7 of Team Fairy Tail's members, proud and ready to fight in order to win. Even with their injuries, they still stood. They were together and they were ready for anything that Sting had to give them.

Sting cancelled his magic, not believing the sight in front of him. They were worn out, so beat up that one push would knock them over, and yet… Sting could barely move under their eyes. He took one step and when he took the next one, he fell to his knees. He was done…

"I give up."

He gave up with his own words, and with 64 points… Fairy Tail won the **Grand Magic Games**.

Everyone in Domus Flau cheered, and many of the Fairy Tail members were crying. 7 years almost meant nothing, because in the end they had won _**together**_.

* * *

"Look at that… and all the members, too. It beats history."

Fate couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face as she smiled, unable to look away from the screen in front of her. A 7 year gap that nearly tore Fairy Tail out of the ranks… 3 months of training for all of this… so much going wrong and so much interference… and in the end, they won.

Even if they had all been sure they would win, it still raised all of their spirits to see their team standing there, worn out and injured, but they had won. They had won for all of their comrades, despite the harsh, tough road that had been in front of them.

Booed from day one… and now they were here.

"Fate, why are you crying?" Abygale asked. Fate shook her head.

"You'll understand someday, I promise. For now, just take in the moment, okay?" Fate asked.

Abygale was confused, but she smiled because Fate was.

"Okay."

* * *

"Nate, you look like an idiot with that grin." Tanner stated.

"Sorry… even without the statistics in front of me, I can feel the energy in Crocus. They won." Nate said.

"See? No need to worry about them, they got it. They had it from the start."

Nate nodded.

"I can focus now. Let's get out of here quick, the world needs saving." Nate said.

Tanner nodded, the first smile since Nate had met her appearing on her face.

'I'm coming, Abygale. Everything is gonna be okay.'


	23. 10,000 Dragons: His Name & Teasing

Fate smiled when she heard the door opening, but her smile faded when she saw the panicked look on Ethan's face. Something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Fate asked.

Ethan took a moment to catch his breath, telling them that he had run all the way even with his injuries. Both of his hands and wrists were now bandaged, along with his right bottom-half of his leg to just above his ankle, his left knee and his right arm. There was also a bandage pad on his left cheek and a band-aid over the bridge of his nose.

"The king is calling every Mage to the center of the city! They're evacuating all of the residents and they're saying that it's an emergency!" Ethan replied.

"Fate…" Abygale mumbled. Fate nodded.

"You came to get us, right?" Fate asked.

"A family fights together, after all." Ethan replied with a grin, making Fate smile.

She turned to the 4 cloaked Exceeds.

"Are you guys coming with us?" Fate asked.

"Huh? B-But…" Giggles trailed off.

"You're family, too. I hope you know that."

They looked up at her in shock, not expecting her to have been serious. But she had been. Fate looked at Abygale, who got up and grabbed her hand.

"Will you be okay?" Fate asked. Abygale nodded.

"Nate's coming and so is Tanner. They'll fight with us, you'll see." Abygale replied.

"Looking forward to it."

* * *

"And so, I'm terribly sorry we don't have time to bask in the afterglow of the **Grand Magic Games** , but I've just heard that this country is facing a critical moment." Toma E. Fiore said.

"10, 000 Dragons!?" Makarov exclaimed.

"Even though we were no match for just one of them, Acnologia…" Cana said.

"And even if that was a special case…" Lisanna trailed off.

"10, 000 of them…"

"Right now, a large-scale strategy is underway at the palace. The Eclipse Project. The objective of this strategy is to eradicate all 10, 000 dragons." Toma explained.

"Eradicate 10, 000 dragons… is that really possible?" Charles asked.

"I couldn't really say… As the enemy is a swarm, I'm sure several of them, maybe even several hundred of them, will survive."

"That's more realistic…" Ryeluen sighed.

"Wizard guilds, I must request that you please lend us your aid. I would like you to use your power to slay the dragons that survive. That is all. Please save this country!" Toma pleaded.

A moment of silence passed before everyone cheered, offering their help to the king.

"Naturally!"  
"Leave it to us!"  
"Yeah!"  
"We won't let any monsters do us in!"  
"Right!"  
"This country, which goes hand in hand with magic…"  
"… is our country!"

"Our opponents are Dragons." Minx stated, her back to her twin brothers'.

"Therefore, it's time for us Dragon Slayers to step into the spotlight." Chilled said.

"We're not going to hold back, no matter how strong the enemy is! Right, partner?" Ethan asked, looking down at Fate.

'Even if I'm carrying another life… I have to fight!' Fate thought. She placed a hand over her stomach. 'Let's fight… Micah.'

Fate nodded.

"Of course!" Fate replied.

She suddenly felt a hand in her free one and then hands on her shoulders and one on her head. She felt tiny arms wrapping around her waist and she looked around, seeing the other Exceeds. Destiny, Abygale, Rory, Ruri, Olivia, James, Cass and the 4 cloaked Exceeds… and then she smiled and nodded once more; getting smiles and nods back from all of them.

Fate looked down at Abygale's, sapphire blue meeting azure blue.

"How long until Nate and the others get here, Abygale?" Fate asked.

Abygale looked surprised at Fate's questions, but she smiled even more.

"Not long, I promise! Nate's really strong; I bet he could defeat a Dragon alone!" Abygale replied.

"We'll see about that." Fate challenged playfully making Abygale nod and hug her tighter.

"Ethan-nii!"  
"Ethan…"

Ethan turned to see Takanashi, Sina and Kurai.

"Let's fight together this time, okay?" Takanashi asked. Ethan nodded.

"Okay!" Ethan replied.

"Everyone, I'm counting on you!" Toma cried.

Everyone cheered in agreement.

"Hey, Destiny…" Fate caught the green Exceeds attention while everyone was distracted.

"Yah?" Destiny asked.

"I lied a bit earlier to the cloaked Exceed who reminds me of my Mom… she's knows about the baby, and I said I didn't know the Gender and that I hadn't picked any names. But we also talked about some things, which makes me want to talk to you about some things right now." Fate explained.

Destiny was quiet for a second.

"You can talk to me about anything." Destiny stated.

Fate nodded, taking a deep breath as she turned to him, making him turn to her. They maintained heavy eye contact, despite their height differences.

"It's a boy. I want to name him Michael Shinko Allyn Seo, and just call him Micah for short." Fate said, making Destiny smile.

"A boy, huh…? His name… you don't have to put my last name in there, you know… but it's sounds wonderful." Destiny commented.

"I want to put your last name in there for a reason I'm going to bring up now."

Destiny was confused, but he nodded to tell her to go on.

"First… I love you." Fate said. Destiny blushed a bit.

"I love you, too… but why are you saying it all of the sudden…?" Destiny asked.

"In case something happens, to you or me or the both of us. I just want to have fresh words in my memory, because I know that we'll be separated at some point. It always happens."

"That's fair enough…"

"I want to ask you something. It's going to sound stupid, but I just want to know so I have something to think about while I'm fighting with Micah out there."

"I told you, you can talk to me about anything."

"It's going to sound really stupid…"

Destiny sighed, pulling Fate into a hug, kissing her forehead.

"Ask me, Fate. It doesn't matter how stupid it sounds, I'll answer." Destiny promised.

Fate hugged him back tightly, taking in how warm he made her feel and his scent. For no apparent reason, Destiny always smelt like warm milk and honey, which was indeed a scent. It calmed her down, always and without fail.

"Would you be Micah's father?"

Destiny wasn't expecting that to be the question, and he pulled away to look at Fate. Her sapphire blue eyes held a lot of worry, but they showed how sincere she was. He smiled down at her before leaning in, pressing his lips against hers. Completely forgetting about everything, Fate kissed him back, leaving them both with a moment to remember.

Destiny pulled away, resting his forehead against Fate's. They maintained eye contact as Destiny smiled.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I kind of intended to be a father figure for Micah since the night you told me that you were pregnant." Destiny said, the tone of his voice low.

Fate smiled, nodding.

"Thank you." Fate thanked him, her voice nearly a whisper.

"It's about time!"

They both jumped, pulling away from each other as they looked down at Abygale, who had her hands on her hips.

"Wh-What do you mean!?" Fate asked.

"You both took too long getting together!" Abygale replied, seeming to scold them.

"She's right, you lovebirds~." Ruri teased, placing her hands on Abygale's shoulders and smirking at the couple.

Both of them were pink, denying it all in stutters, making Ruri nod. They eventually gave up, not bothering to try and hide it anymore.

"Fine, we give up…" They both sighed.

"It's okay. We all kind of saw through it anyway." Ruri stated, making them both go a darker shade of pink.

Rory suddenly leaned on Fate.

"When's the wedding? We're invited, right?" Rory asked, following along in the teasing.

"We're not even engaged!" Destiny replied. Cass leaned against her twin brother.

"Well, what are you waiting for!? Do it right now, we'll support you!" Cass teased.

"No way! I mean, I love her and all, but we haven't been dating that long!"

"Aww, come on~!"

Olivia nudged Fate, elbowing her shoulder gently and catching her attention.

"Why don't you propose to him instead?" Olivia asked.

"Not you, too…" Fate sighed.

"It's not a bad idea." James stated.

"Even you!?"

James smiled at her, and she sighed as she smiled back. Even in a deathly situation, Fairy Tail could still make jokes and play around. It was amazing, even if it was normal.


	24. 12 Dragons & 19 Dragon Slayers: Here

"July 7th..." Gajeel mumbled upon the city's bell ringing, signifying that it was midnight.

"That's the day the dragons disappeared, right?" Levy asked.

"Are the dragons gonna appear on this day?"

"Fairy Tail will defend the central plaza!" Makarov announced.

"What about the other guilds?" Max A. asked.

"There standing by throughout the city." Warren replied.

"Are you okay with moving around, idiot?" Akina asked. Ethan nodded.

"Thanks to you, Namine and Sina, I'm more than okay." Ethan replied.

There was a moment of silence between them as they kept eye contact.

"Hey, do me a favor when we're fighting." Akina said, confusing Ethan.

"Yah, what?" Ethan asked.

"This isn't just for me; it's for everyone that knows you. You impact the lives of everyone you meet just as much as your partner... Stay alive, got it?"

Ethan wasn't expecting Akina to say it. If anything, Akina was the _**last**_ person he expected to tell him to stay alive, but she just had and it made him smile. He nodded.

"I will if you will." Ethan replied. Akina smiled and nodded.

"At any rate, that's a creepy moon." Freed stated, making everyone look up.

"Eclipse... A lunar eclipse..." Laxus muttered.

The ground suddenly started shaking, catching everyone's attention.

"What is it? Magic power... No..." Erza trailed off.

"It's coming from the palace. Then..." Elfman trailed off.

"That Eclipse thing." Gray stated.

A building to the left of all of them suddenly was crashed into pieces, making all of them jump.

"What was that!?" Erza asked.

"Are they here!?" Sting asked.

"It's by the palace!" Rogue yelled.

They all looked up in another direction and everything actually became real. They saw a dragon and everything was instantly put into reality. Of course they had believed the king, but now it was actually there, right in front of them. Even the Dragon Slayers were scared to see a dragon after 14 years of not seeing their own.

"Spread out! If you're bunched up, you'll be annihilated with one attack!" Makarov ordered.

Everyone agreed and started spreading out.

'This is the start. Let's go...' Ethan thought, swallowing hard.

* * *

When a fire dragon landed in front of the Fairy Tail members, they all nearly fell. Makarov ordered them to attack and, including him, they all ran at the dragon.

 _ **"I am Atlas Flame! I'm going to show you wretches the flames of hell!"**_

The ground in front of everyone suddenly exploded, sending them all flying backwards. However, Cathy was able to encase herself in water so the explosion couldn't touch her or do anything to her.

"Hang in there, brats!" Makarov yelled, barely keeping his own footing.

* * *

"I'm a Dragon Slayer! I'm not backing down!" Takanashi yelled, charging towards the dragon in front of her and her guild, plus the other guilds that were with them.

"Takanashi, please be careful! Your safety is not guaranteed or promised!" Kurai yelled.

"I know!" Takanashi yelled back.

"Don't get hurt!" Sina yelled from Kurai's shoulder.

"No promises on anything!"

Takanashi used the building to her left to get above the dragon before using her roar to attack it, but it barely did anything and she landed on the ground, only to be thrown back by the ground breaking underneath her feet.

'Ethan-nii, Fate... please be safe...'

* * *

The dragons moved around the city, making it hard for the others to keep up. It was bad enough that every attack wasn't working, no matter how hard they tried.

'I want to find Wendy... but there's no way I can leave everyone.' Jordan thought.

'Is Natsu okay...?' Adam wondered, not able to focus properly.

'Takanashi... please stay with Sina and Kurai...' Ethan thought, barely keeping his footing as he ran through the destroyed city with the others, going after Atlas Flame.

* * *

"12 Dragons... what is this about?" Makarov asked.

"I don't know. But right now, our top priority is getting through the crisis!" Mavis replied.

Abygale nearly screamed when Fate picked her up, running over to Makarov, Mavis and Asuka before putting her down.

"Stay here." Fate ordered.

Fate turned to go join the others again, but Abygale grabbed her hand.

"Why can't I fight!?" Abygale asked. Fate bit her lip before turning around and kneeling down to Abygale's height.

"I need you to keep a look out for Nate and the others. When they get here, I'll be more at ease because we'll have more numbers. I don't want you to worry about me or Destiny or anyone else in this city. Only fight if it's at the last straw, okay?" Fate asked.

Abygale frowned, but she looked down and nodded.

"Hey..." Fate pulled Abygale into a hug, letting the younger Exceed hug her back. "Everything is going to be okay. We always get through stuff like this. You're one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me and I'm not going to lose you, so you're not going to lose me either. Alright?"

Abygale nodded and Fate pulled away, standing up.

"Keep an eye out. You're good at that."

Abygale nodded again and Fate ran back to the others.

Gray and Juvia started their Unison Raid, gathering their magic together before hitting the dragon directly. Everyone was bummed out when it didn't work, but Cathy quickly ran forward. Dan and Phil caught on and ran after their older half-sister. All 3 of them got close enough to use their roars effectively, but they were knocked away by the dragon pretty soon afterwards.

"Not even Water Dragon Slaying, huh...?" Miharu asked.

"If that doesn't work then what will!?" Chilled asked, freaking out.

Everyone was once again thrown back by an attack from the dragon, annoying them to no end.

* * *

 **"Can you hear me!? Dragon Slayer Magic can down the dragons!"**

"Natsu's voice!" Adam exclaimed.

 **"We've got 19 Dragon Slayers here and 12 dragons! Our magic exists for this very day! Dragon Slayers exist to fight this very battle! Let's go... dragon hunting!"**

All of the Dragon Slayers smirked and nodded at Natsu's words, but all of the sudden, eggs fell from the sky. Everyone watched as they hatched, revealing mini dragons.

Mavis suddenly shouted out orders, telling all of the Dragon Slayers to spread out and take on a dragon. Some Dragon Slayers paired up with confirmation from the others and Ethan suddenly thought about Takanashi. To hell if he would leave her alone with a dragon.

"I'm going to go get Takanashi, and then we'll fight a dragon together!" Ethan yelled, getting nods from the others.

He looked down at Fate, who nodded and called Abygale before the 3 of them ran off. Fate glanced back, making eye contact with Destiny. He only smiled and nodded, and she returned the favor.

'See you soon.'

* * *

"Miharu-san, you're going too fast!" Hotaru yelled to the slightly older girl.

"Maybe you're too slow! Why did you follow me!? All 3 of you!" Miharu yelled.

"I can't let you fight alone!" Ryeluen yelled.

"I thought I'd follow along! The more help, the better! Although, Gajeel did go off by himself..." Charles sighed.

Miharu groaned because of their replies, continuing to run. There was a dragon nearby and that one was going to be hers to fight. The faster she got to it, the more time she'd have to constantly damage it.

Turning the corner, the dragon came into sight. It was a huge as the others, but its scales were patterned like wood and it didn't have very big wings.

"And here we are..." Miharu mumbled.

When the dragon looked down on the 4 of them, it surprised them by asking them questions.

 _ **"Are you here to kill me, humans?"**_ It asked.

"Well, we kinda gotta. You're destroyed the blooming capital of Fiore and you're set on destroying our whole country." Miharu replied.

"Why are you answering it?" Ryeluen asked.

"Because it's common courtesy." Miharu replied.

 _ **"I am Iraneth, the Wood Dragon."**_ The dragon spread its smaller wings.

Miharu smirked, getting into a fighting stance.

"Well I'm Miharu Sakutaro, the Ice Dragon Slayer."

Iraneth didn't hesitate to swing its tail, destroying buildings on the left in order to try and hit them all. Miharu yelled something that no one caught and ran up a building on the right side, pushing off of it to gain momentum, using her fist to attack the dragon first. It barely had any effect and Miharu was shaken off.

'Shit.'

* * *

Jordan didn't know why, but he headed straight for the palace. He knew Wendy would be there and he wanted to help her. The dragon by the palace just happened to be Zirconis and he didn't want to leave Wendy as the only Dragon Slayer against him. The spirit joked about eating her and the real thing just actually might do so. That thought made him run faster, until her suddenly tripped.

"Jordan!"

Jordan sat up quickly, looking behind him with wide eyes. Why was Giggles there and not with the other 3 cloaked Exceeds? She seemed to freak out.

"Um, I mean, uh, I'm not—" Giggles cut herself off by just shutting her mouth and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I was worried about you. I dunno why..."

Jordan smiled.

"Thank you, Giggles. But, I'm not the one you should be worrying about. You need to worry about Fate, right?" Jordan asked.

"Sort of..." Giggles replied.

"Go find her. I'll see you after this, right?"

"You ask "right" a lot... but yes, you will."

"Alright... Go find Fate and I'll go to Wendy."

Giggles nodded and ran off, leaving Jordan with a smile. He didn't know why Giggles was worried about him, but he was grateful that she thought of him.

* * *

Cathy, Dan and Phil weren't expecting to just be ambushed by a dragon, but they were and they barely made it out of the way of the crashing building. The dragon was black, lined with other dark colors and with white markings.

 _ **"Foolish humans! You cannot beat dragons, nonetheless me!"**_

"We'll see about that..." Cathy mumbled.

 _ **"Come at me with all of your strength, for I am Caydranth, the Destruction Dragon!"**_

* * *

Adam couldn't get 5 feet without having to take out a horde of mini dragons. They just looked like monsters and they annoyed him to no end. He kept his eye on Motherglare in case something happened and Natsu needed help. Then again, it was Natsu.

* * *

A dragon white and black in color, covered with blue streaks and markings. Its eyes were pale, barely taking on a white color, but they were in a way. A dark white, Chilled had corrected Minx and made her yell at him that dark white wasn't a thing.

Venia, the Chaos Dragon, versus Chilled and Minx Daznews, twin Elemental Dragon Slayers. Despite how strong they sounded, and despite their teamwork, defeating a Chaos Dragon may nearly kill them. They knew it, but with Minx yelling at him and with Chilled's insecurity pumping her up, they both supported each other and they ran into battle.

* * *

"What's with this dragon?" Akina asked.

"Maybe Ethan and Takanashi would be better..." Namine replied.

The dragon was a mix of many different browns and trees sprouted out from different spots of its body. The trees were lush and green, and the dragon didn't seem interested in fighting the 2 sisters until Akina mentioned that they were Dragon Slayers who were going to fight him and defeat him.

Even though Namine hadn't seemed too sure, the dragon ran into a battle against them like what was planned from the start. Kovinth the Forest Dragon ran into a fight with Akina and Namine Blake, Light Dragon Slayers.

* * *

Ethan had told Fate to go find the others and help them if they needed help, and she had only gone because Kurai promised to take care of Ethan, Takanashi and Sina for her. She had taken Abygale and ran off to go help whoever needed help, looking back only once to get a nod from Ethan. He hadn't given her one, but instead he smiled softly and gave her a small wave.

It was him and Takanashi, including Sina and Kurai, against Niruth, the Storm Dragon. He wasn't sure if anyone could win any fight against any dragon, but he had to try. Trying usually ended in succeeding, it was how he had gotten this far with Fate at his side.

* * *

Fate hadn't thought beforehand about just running into the open and Abygale froze as she yelled at Fate to move, or duck or do anything but stand there. Fate didn't understand until she looked up upon hearing rocks clattering, seeing the mini dragons sending attacks towards her. She was frozen in place, though. She couldn't move, not in enough time.

She closed her eyes before hearing another voice, and was suddenly tackled to the side with someone landing on top of her. Fate opened her eyes, seeing a familiar blue vest as the Exceed moved off other. They made eye contact when Fate pushed herself up into a sitting position straight after and she didn't feel uncomfortable around him like she had every other time.

"Lector..." Fate mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Lector asked, the worry evident in his eyes. Fate nodded.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you running by and I wanted to know why you were alone with Abygale... I didn't want you to get hurt, so I tackled you to the side. I'm sorry, are you hurt?"

Fate shook her head.

"Abygale and I are waiting for some very important people to show up." Fate explained. "Please, go back to Sting and don't get involved."

"Lector!"

They turned to see Frosch running over to them.

"Frosch, why are you here!?" Lector asked.

"Why did you run off?" Frosch asked.

"I'm helping Ms. Fate."

"Fro will help, too!"

Fate stood up, nearly scaring Lector.

"Why...? The both of you are perfectly safe with Sting and Rogue, and Abygale and I can take care of ourse—"

"Tell that to just a moment ago." Lector cut her off.

Fate shut up for a moment before sighing.

"Fine, but I'm not going to be responsible for the both of you." Fate said.

"Yes, ma'am!" They both agreed.

"One more thing... Just call me Fate. "Ms." makes me feel old." Fate sighed.

"But... we respect you and that's why we use it." Lector said. Fate sighed again.

"Lector, I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings."

Lector jumped, not having expected Fate to bring it up and he definitely didn't expect Fate to bow politely to him.

"I'm already in a relationship, so I can't return them. I'm sorry." Fate apologized. Lector shook his head and waved his hands in front of himself.

"No, no! It's not a problem, it's not like I didn't expect you to be in a relationship!" Lector panicked. Fate stood up straight, giving him a confused look. "I-I mean, your beauty surpasses most Exceeds that I've seen, so I'm not surprised that you're in a relationship!"

Fate blushed.

"Stop the flirting if you accept that I'm dating someone already..." Fate mumbled.

"Sorry... just knowing that isn't going to make me stop loving you." Lector apologized. Fate sighed with a smile.

"It's okay. Any Exceed would be lucky to have you, Lector; you just gotta find the right one."

Lector nodded.

"Fate!" Abygale yelled, catching their attention.

She was staring at the ground with wide eyes, holding her head in her hands, and Fate ran over to her.

"What is it? What's wrong, Abygale?" Fate asked softly.

"They're here... Nate's here with the others."


	25. What about us?, Is This The End?

" _ **涅槃！**_ "

The mini dragons were nuisances, but they were easy for Fate to knock out long enough for the 4 Exceeds to get past. Abygale was leading them to Nate and the others because Fate had asked her to, and they were making their way there slowly.

Abygale was far too enthusiastic about it. She continuously muttered under her breath that Nate was here, even if it meant that the end was near. It worried Fate because Abygale was basically only 3 months old or so, and Abygale shouldn't be worrying about the end of the world.

Fate wanted to meet Nate and the others because Abygale said that Nate was going to tell her about how she was going to save the world, which she doubted was true. Plus, other than Tanner, Abygale hadn't mentioned the names of anyone else. She had said Nate and the other _ **s**_ , so there had to be more and Fate wanted to know who the others were. Especially if Abygale didn't know.

* * *

"WENDY!"

Wendy looked down to see Jordan. He couldn't fly up to her, Carla and Mira because he didn't have an Exceed or any kind of magic that would help him fly.

"Where's Lily? He's here, too, right? Sorry to Gajeel, but what else am I supposed to do, just sit around?" Jordan asked, talking to himself as he looked around for Lily.

He spotted the black Exceed, but before he could call out to him, he was picked up by something or someone. He looked up and his eyes widened, seeing Giggles.

"Giggles, why aren't you—"

"I was told to do what I wish here because Fate's being taken care of by the others. There are other reasons that I can't tell you, but... let's just fight, okay?" Giggles asked, cutting off Jordan. Jordan smiled and nodded.

"Alright... I'll be counting on you, Giggles." Jordan said.

"There's one more thing, Jordan Marone."

Jordan was confused.

"2 things: How do you know my full name and what is it?" Jordan asked.

"I just know." Giggles replied. "And my name isn't Giggles. It's Yuuki."

"Yuuki...? Like, Courage in Japanese?" Jordan asked. Yuuki nodded. "Alright then, Yuuki it is."

* * *

Fate was nearly out of magic power and there was no end to the mini dragons that were surrounding her, Abygale, Lector and Frosch. She was panting heavily, attacking the mini dragons one by one to keep them away, but she knew she would only last so much longer.

Lector suddenly yelled at her and she looked up, seeing a mini dragon dropping down straight above her. She knew she wouldn't make it in time and raised her hands up, unsure of what else to do.

" _ **Hakai mahō: Kōgeki**_!"

Fate watched as the mini dragon was hit with an all-too-familiar magic, shattering. Fate sighed in relief, turning to Ruri with a smile. With her was Rory, which didn't surprise Fate. She was really glad to see them.

"Have you seen the others?" Ruri asked.

Fate knew that Ruri was worried about Cathy and that Rory was worried about Adam, and it was painful to have to shake her head even if it was the truth.

"Not since the beginning." Fate replied.

"Did you meet up with these 2?" Rory asked, referring to Lector and Frosch. Fate nodded.

"Lector saved me and they're pretty stubborn when it comes to protecting the people they care deeply about." Fate replied.

Lector laughed sheepishly, making Fate smile.

"Yah, but you're the same way, pipsqueak." Rory stated.

"And so do you!" Fate reminded, turning away from him partially before looking down at the ground with a smile. "I'll protect anyone who cares deeply about me, because I know that they'd do the same..."

Rory smiled, shaking his head because he was right.

"Fate..." Abygale mumbled. Fate nodded, turning to Rory and Ruri.

"We're going to meet up with some people. You coming?" Fate asked.

"Well, we can't leave you alone." Ruri replied, answering for the both of them.

Fate nodded once more before they all ran off, following Abygale.

* * *

Laxus and the Raijinshuu had jumped in to help fight Zirconis, leading the fight to the ground, but even with Laxus... Zirconis didn't take any damage. Laxus' lightning reflected off of Zirconis and everyone covered themselves before looking back up in disbelief.

'Even Laxus...' Jordan thought.

* * *

Jordan gritted his teeth as he watched Zirconis stand. Even with Laxus, Wendy and his attacks combined, Zirconis still stood with barely any trouble. He was standing with Wendy when Zirconis turned to face them. Zirconis suddenly charged at them and Jordan quickly pushed in front of Wendy, while Laxus ran in front of both of them.

* * *

Takanashi didn't know what was coming until she turned, seeing Niruth charging towards her with his mouth open. She froze when the dragon was right in front of her, no longer able to hear anything but her blood rushing through her body.

Suddenly, someone shoved her and ended up in the range instead. She looked to the left as she fell to the ground and her eyes widened, seeing Ethan straight in the path of Niruth's mouth. He said something and she read his lips, nearly hearing his apology before she screamed his name, her voice merging with Kurai's as he screamed the same thing she was.

* * *

When they all turned left, they weren't expecting to run into a bunch of mini-dragons and then to be surrounded by more. Luckily, there was an alley to turn down and they quickly turned and ran into it, but Lector slipped. Everyone turned and the mini-dragons got ready to fire just as Lector was standing. Fate suddenly held up her arms, and in an instant Lector was standing where she had been.

The mini-dragons fired and everything where Lector had been before he appeared in Fate's spot exploded. Everyone froze for a moment, taking it all in.

"Hey... weren't you just...?" Rory asked, not finishing his sentence.

"Lector... if you're here, then..." Ruri trailed off.

"Ms. Fate..." Frosch whimpered.

All of them had tears in their eyes and Abygale instantly ran out of the alley, straight past Lector.

"It's not true!" She screamed.

* * *

Destiny and Cass took down more mini-dragons, sighing in relief when no more of them showed up. Cass groaned, leaning against her twin brother.

"This is getting tiring as all Hell..." Cass complained.

"I left Akina and Namine to find you and Fate. You're with me and Fate has gotta be somewhere around here." Destiny stated, looking around for any sign of movement.

"Destiny, Cass...?"

Destiny jumped upon hearing Ruri's voice, smiling. Rory had to be with her and if Fate wasn't with them, they had to know at least the location she was in. He turned around with a smile, but upon seeing what he did his smile instantly faded. His eyes widened, filling up with tears, as his heart dropped. Destiny shook his head, hearing Abygale's little sobs and seeing everyone's tears.

"This isn't real... it's just a nightmare..." Destiny muttered under his breath. He grabbed Cass' shoulders and shook her. "Pinch me, slap me, anything! Wake me up!"

"I'm sorry, I can't! It's real!" Cass cried.

Destiny turned away from her, back to the others. He had hoped that she would open her eyes and smile, telling him it was a joke and that they all had gotten him and Cass. But she didn't and Lector walked forward with her in his arms.

Fate was unconscious in Lector's arms and every wound that hadn't healed yet had been ripped back open, bleeding along with the new injuries that had been inflicted on her. Not only was she bleeding, but she wasn't breathing. She was still and pale. She was dead and he didn't want to believe it.

Lector gave her to Destiny, who fell to his knees with her in his arms as he cried. Tears dropped onto her face, some rolling down it, as tears also streamed down his cheeks as far as they could. He heard Rory state that there was no pulse when they could get to her and even heard a sob escape his throat. Abygale's sobs killed him the most, but Destiny could only hold onto Fate's tightly as he whispered softly in her ear. He knew that she couldn't hear him, but he still did.

"I'm sorry that I didn't run after you... I'm sorry that I've always been an idiot and that I've never been able to protect you from anything. I love you more than anything, please don't be dead..."

When nothing happened, for some reason he got angry. Angry at himself, angry at her... just completely angry.

"What about James? What about Cass? What about Olivia and Ethan, and Abygale? What about Rory, Ruri, Lector, Frosch, Takanashi, everyone? What about _**me**_...?"

He didn't know why he was whisper-yelling at her, but he couldn't stop.

"What about Michael, Fate...? What about Micah...? He can't... you can't..."


	26. 1 Minute, Them, Arrine, Just Kiss Me

Jordan jumped, noticing that Wendy did, too.

"What was that just now?" Wendy asked.

"We can think about it later!" Laxus yelled.

Wendy and Jordan glanced at each other and nodded, jumping out of the way before using their roars. Laxus used his and the attacks combined, hitting Zirconis directly and critically.

* * *

Takanashi jumped, Ethan's sacrifice flashing before her eyes.

"What the Hell...!?" Sina asked, jumping onto Kurai's head and nearly blinding him.

"We can think about it later! For now, Kurai!" Ethan yelled.

Kurai nodded and held up his hands, swinging them further into the air. The ground under Takanashi rose, raising her up as well. Niruth went straight into the rock, crashing through it, giving Ethan and Takanashi enough time to use their roars.

* * *

Abygale stopped, followed quickly by the others, as what would happen if they turned the corner flashed in front of them. They all turned so they were facing each other.

"If we turn that corner..." Rory trailed off.

"I'm going to trip..." Lector continued.

"While we run into an alley for protection..." Ruri continued.

"Then Fate switches places with Lector with her magic..." Abygale continued.

"And I'll die." Fate finished.

"Abygale, is there another way?" Rory asked. Abygale nodded, grabbing Fate's hand.

"We can go back a bit and then turn left, and then keep going." Abygale replied.

"Let's go, then." Ruri suggested, getting nods from all of them.

* * *

Cass had to hold Destiny in place while they waited for the sight of the others, but they didn't come. It made Cass sigh in relief.

"We'll find her, Destiny, and she'll be fine." Cass promised.

"I really want to see her... now more than ever... I can't lose her, Cass." Destiny stated.

"I know. Let's keep searching."

Destiny nodded.

'Fate, please... please, be safe.'

* * *

"Nate!"

The little voice was familiar and it made him feel like every goal had been reached, even though it hadn't. Everyone turned, seeing the little lilac purple Exceed with azure blue eyes. Her smile was huge and sincere, and her eyes were full of hope and excitement. Nate smiled, hope rising for him.

"Abygale!"

He kneeled down and she ran into his arms, both of them hugging each other tightly.

"I finally get to meet you... Diana." Nate stated. Abygale nodded.

"You, too... Skyward."

Nate smiled, holding the younger Exceed as tightly as he could without hurting her or depriving her of air.

"Nate, this is Abygale? She's... just a kid." Tanner said.

"But she's a very important kid, Tanner. She's brought our saviour with her." Nate said.

Tanner looked up, her eyes widening at the group of Exceeds that were approaching. Nate stood up, letting go of Abygale. She grabbed his hand and he gladly let her hold it, returning the favor as he made eye contact with a familiar pair of sapphire blue eyes. The silver key confirmed everything and her bracelet reminded him of the people that he and Tanner had brought along.

"Fate, this is Nate." Abygale said, looking from Fate up to Nate, who smiled down at her.

Nate looked up again, looking at the others behind Fate. Ruby red and emerald green eyes stood out, but he couldn't seem to locate the Angel of Light. He heard footsteps approaching and he knew that it was the certain 6 people that they had brought along. Although Fate wouldn't know one of them, she would know the other 5 Exceeds.

When they were in her sight beside Tanner, she tensed as her eyes widened, unable to take her eyes off of them. Fate started shaking, her eyes filling with tears for each and every second that she looked at them.

Purple fur and seal brown eyes, Krystal Eve.  
Mikado yellow fur and seal brown eyes, Aaron Eve.  
Black fur and chocolate brown eyes, Tristan Keynes.  
Black fur, with a partially yellow right ear, and chocolate brown eyes, Peter Keynes.  
Black fur and sea green eyes, Joanna Marsh, or Jo as she liked to be called.

"I'm sorry for what happened on Tenroujima." Aaron apologized softly, looking at the ground in guilt. Fate shook her head a little. "I mean, it wasn't me... but it was and I..."

Aaron suddenly felt a pair of arms around him and sudden warmth surrounded him. Fate was hugging him, tears flowing out of her eyes onto his shoulder.

"It's okay... I think I know what happened, even if it's just a little or maybe just a theory in my head, telling me to just shut up... it doesn't matter what happened then, that was 7 years ago. 7 year gap or not, it's in the past. I forgive you." Fate stated quietly.

Aaron relaxed and nodded, hugging her back as long as he could until she pulled away, grabbing Tristan's wrist with a challenging look.

"You're next!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around him.

Tristan laughed a little and wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you, too." Tristan joked quietly.

"Shut up, or this is the only hug you get." Fate joked, smiling against his chest.

He smiled and she pulled away, hugging Peter next. Peter hugged her tightly, almost not willing to let go. They didn't need to exchange words, so they just smiled and she kissed his cheek in a friendly way, making him smile more.

Fate pulled away from him and they nodded at each other before Fate hugged Krystal. Krystal hugged her back, fighting the urge to pick Fate up.

"This height difference is getting ridiculous." Krystal stated, making Fate groan.

"Now's not the time to talk about my personal flaws as a human being." Fate sighed, making Krystal laugh a bit.

Fate pulled away and hugged Jo, who hugged her back and buried her face in Fate's shoulder.

"It's been far too long... how are you holding up?" Jo asked.

"Not going to lie, I could be better... but I think that I've got everything I need and now I got you guys as well... right?" Fate asked.

"Of course... and we're not going to ever leave you."

Fate smiled and nodded, pulling away from Jo. She noticed a small black Exceed with hazel eyes that were protected by a pair of black glasses behind Peter, holding his hand tightly with both of hers.

"Ame—or... Sorry. Fate, this is Sage. Sage, this is Fate." Peter introduced.

"Hi..." Sage mumbled, hiding behind Peter a little more.

Fate smiled down at her.

"Nice to meet you, Sage." Fate said.

"We'll tell you everything later, since Nate needs to talk to you anyway, but right now we should move before more of those mini-dragons or whatever those are show up." Jo suggested.

Fate nodded, turning to Rory, Ruri, Lector and Frosch.

"I'll explain things to you guys later as well, but we should meet up with some of the others." Fate said.

They 4 of them nodded.

"I'm worried about Sting-kun..." Lector admitted.

"Rogue..." Frosch whimpered.

"We'll see everyone soon." Fate promised, getting nods from the 2 Sabertooth Exceeds.

* * *

"Fate!"

Fate smiled when she saw the 3 cloaked Exceeds, but frowned when she noticed that Giggles wasn't with them.

"Where's Giggles?" Fate asked, running all the way up to them.

"She's with your friends at the palace." The Exceed that reminded her of her mother replied.

Fate nodded, looking up at the palace. She wondered if Ethan and Destiny were alright.

The ground beside them suddenly exploded and they all flew backwards, landing hard on the ground. Fate didn't hesitate to stand up, despite the pain coursing through her body, and attack. She held up her arms at her sides and gathered her magic.

" _ **軽蔑！**_ "

The mini-dragons in the surrounding area shattered and Fate turned around to ask if the cloaked Exceeds were okay, but she was cut off with a gasp that escaped her throat. It was them. Words ran through her mind as her mind tried to wrap around what she was seeing.

Missing in action or M.I.A., suicide, disappearance…

The familiar black and white fur, and the familiar hazel and forest green eyes. No wonder they reminded her of her family. _**They were her family**_.

Her older brother Henkou, her Mom, her Dad… Giggles was her little sister Yuuki. The Konno family was back together, but Fate didn't know what to feel. She didn't know if she even could feel. Instead, she swallowed hard and slowly, under mouth dry from the sudden shock.

"Were you ever going to tell me…?" Fate asked softly, her voice raspy.

"We were going to after the **Grand Magic Games** and moved it to after the fight against the dragons was over… but plans changed, just like they always do…" Her Mom replied.

"Akuma…" Her Dad seemed to warn.

"She has the right to know, Tenshi."

Akuma stood up, facing her middle daughter and making eye contact with her, hazel against sapphire blue.

"Everything was an illusion."

The words pushed Fate deeper into her shock.

"I know how to use Illusion Magic, so I put an illusion in your mind. I put illusions in the minds of everyone in Arrine. We had gone missing to them, all of us. But for you, I put you through all of that… I'm sorry." Akuma apologized.

"Why…?" Fate asked, her voice barely holding.

"The Seekers of Nothing were coming to Arrine to take you away and we needed to get you out. We didn't know how to explain everything, so I made an illusion that you kids were playing hide and seek, and in the middle of it Henkou went missing. I made the illusion that I shot myself and that your Dad took you and Yuuki… that the 3 of you left. Then that your Dad went missing and Yuuki ran off too fast for you to follow. That's the end of the illusion; the rest was just us hesitating.  
We followed you and when we were going to get and tell you everything, your life started. You met Ethan, Takanashi, Sina and the Earth Dragon, Terra… and you stayed with Ethan for 7 years. When we saw you living your life by joining Fairy Tail, we decided to protect you from the shadows. It didn't all go to plan, just like it hadn't from the start, but you learned more without us than you ever would have with us. We got stuck in the 7 year time gap with you and everyone who happened to be in Erith, making up 14 years in total with you not knowing that we were alive. But you were happy… you smiled…"

Fate was breaking down in tears. She believed everything and she understood it, but for some reason she was really angry at them.

"You left me alone for 14 years! Even with the time gap, do you know how much I was suffering! Sure, it looked like I was happy and I was, but the past still held me down in chains! Even with an amazing partner and an amazing new family, I couldn't forget about anyone in Arrine! Even if I had problems, even if I was trying to focus on a relationship with a boy I truly love, even if I was trying to take care of a little girl who reminded me of myself: I couldn't forget _**losing my home, my friends and family**_! It's just impossible!" Fate yelled, not bothering to stop the tears and sobs coming from her.

How could they think that she didn't want to see them? That's basically what they were playing at and it felt like she was getting stabbed in the heart.

"Even if they were there for me…  
Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Carla, Gajeel, Lily,  
Levy, Jet, Droy, Macao, Wakaba, Romeo, Max Alors, Laki, Laxus,  
Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, Vijeeter, Elfman, Mira, Lisanna, Juvia, Gildarts, Cana,  
Master, Bisca, Alzack, Asuka-chan, First Master, Ethan, Takanashi, Sina, Akina,  
Namine, Destiny, Chilled, Minx, Adam, Rory, Cathy, Ruri, Jordan,  
Dan, Phil, Charles, Hotaru, Max Gaine, Malcolm, Renee, Zoe, Ryeluen,  
Miharu, Olivia, James, Jonah, Abygale, Cass… and everyone else from all of the other guilds…  
Of course I wanted to see all of you. You were there for me, too… even if you left when I wasn't ready to let you leave… I wanted to see you. Even with this outburst of anger, I can't believe you're in front of me. It's like a miracle… something that would happen once in awhile in a fairy tale…"

"We're sorry… there's not much more any of us can say, even though we want to…" Akuma said, close to crying herself.

"Then don't say anything."

Fate's arms wrapped around Akuma, who couldn't stop the tears from escaping her eyes for even just one more second.

"Come with us… Please…"

Akuma nodded, wrapping her arms around Fate.

"Fairy Tail is open to anyone who wishes to join, right?" Akuma asked with a smile on her face, the first one in long time.

"Always…" Fate replied, a smile finding its way onto her lips.

* * *

All 12 dragons, including the mini-dragons, suddenly started to glow and they knew that it meant that they were going back to their own time, but everyone fighting them had no idea what was going on. One by one, they all disappeared, helpless to stop what was happening.

"It looks like we've won…" Lector mumbled, still a little unsure.

Everyone looked around for anything that could've been left behind, but there was nothing.

"Fro thinks so, too." Frosch agreed, also unsure.

"No, we definitely did. Don't be unsure. Can't you feel the atmosphere, it's changed. Along with the time… it's all going back to how it should be." Ruri explained.

"So, we won? For sure?" Abygale asked. Ruri nodded with a smile.

* * *

"None of the Dragon Slayers… were able to take down a dragon." Kurai sighed, looking at the ground.

Specifically, he was looking at Ethan and Takanashi, who were bummed out.

"This is not cool…" Ethan sighed.

"Totally unsatisfying…" Takanashi whined.

* * *

"God dammit!" Akina yelled.

"Well, we put up a good fight at least… right?" Namine asked.

Akina growled, knowing that her younger sister was right.

* * *

"We're lame…" Dan sighed.

"So lame…" Phil agreed.

"Until next time…" Cathy sobbed, feeling ashamed.

"What next time!? _**NO**_ NEXT TIME!" Her younger half-brothers yelled.

* * *

"Aww, man…" Adam sighed, but he smiled.

'At least we're all alive…'

* * *

"This sucks…" Miharu complained.

"It's okay. The dragons were stronger than anticipated, so it's not really our fault." Hotaru reassured her.

"We're all alive, that's what matters." Charles said. Ryeluen nodded.

* * *

Jordan sighed in relief before looking down, noticing that Yuuki's hood had fallen off. A black Exceed with hazel eyes… how old was she?

"Yuuki, how old are you?" Jordan asked.

"11… 21 in Human years." Yuuki replied.

Jordan nodded, smiling. It was all over… and that made him feel great even if none of the Dragon Slayers actually slayed a dragon.

* * *

Destiny was worried about everyone, but all of his worry vanished when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. It was full of relief and it sounded so sweet, but when he turned around, her smile was sweeter.

He couldn't stop from smiling as well and running towards her, both of them crashing into a tight hug, Destiny nearly falling to the ground.

"I saw you…" Destiny trailed off.

"Don't worry. I'm here and I always will be. There's so much to talk about…"

She pulled away a bit, making eye contact with him.

"But for now… just kiss me."

Destiny didn't need to be told twice. He leaned in right away and captured her lips with his and this time; she didn't wait to kiss him back. Even after so much fighting, both of their lips felt soft and warm to each other and being in each other's arms made everything worth it, and it made them both want to stay like that forever.


	27. The Grand Ball: Reasons

"At least try and look like you're enjoying yourself, Ethan-nii."

"I can't… this whole place is making me uncomfortable…"

All mages had been called to spend a night partying in the palace and all mages had shown up, but that's what bothered Ethan. Fate smiled in sympathy for her partner, knowing that he really hated fancy clothes and such. That's why he had gone simple with his outfit.

He wore a white buttoned-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black running shoes. Fate knew that he most likely had his black tank top on underneath the buttoned-up shirt, that's just who her partner was. It made her smile even more.

However, his little sister was a bit of a different deal. Takanashi wore a bright pink quarter-sleeved dress that reached her knees. She had a little brown belt around her waist, which was typical of her. She wore little pink and brown flats that were tied to her ankles, which reminded Fate that Takanashi hated when her shoes would fall off, no matter what she was doing to make them fall off.

"Wh-Why did I have to come as well…?" Kurai asked, his face a bright pink just like Takanashi's dress.

It made Fate realize that Kurai and Ethan had a lot in common, no matter which way it was towards whatever they'd have. Fate had to admit, Kurai looked cute in fancy kinds of clothing. He was wearing a simple white buttoned-up shirt, a pair of black jeans and a pair of white running shoes.

"Because it said _**all**_ mages…" Takanashi replied with a sigh.

"Suck it up, the both of you." Sina ordered.

"Yes, ma'am…" The 2 boys sighed.

Fate laughed a bit before looking around for the others. There were so many mages that it nearly shocked her, but she knew that only 10% of the population was mages. It was so weird to be surrounded by so many people; all dressed up in fancy kinds of clothing, especially ones that could all use magic.

All the mages were here, including her friends and family. It was July 8th, officially the 12th week of her being pregnant, and Fate had taken the whole day to explain everything to the others. Nate hadn't come to talk to her like she thought he would, but it made her nervous for some reason.

What made Fate extremely nervous, or more like anxious, was the fact that Jo and Olivia didn't get along. If she hadn't been around and Jo saw Olivia, Jo might've just killed her. Back when Olivia was frustrated and decided to try and hang Fate in the girl's bathroom, the reason Fate survived was because Jo had seen the whole thing and had helped Fate down. Olivia would never even lay a finger on Fate in a hurtful way now and Fate had told Jo that, but Fate knew that Jo wouldn't ever trust Olivia.

'As long as Jo doesn't kill her or try to kill her, I think everything will work out on its own… I hope.' Fate thought with a sigh.

Fate spotted Chilled and Minx first.  
Chilled wore a flannel-looking buttoned-up shirt, a pair of black jeans and a pair of black running shoes. He looked fairly different without his hat on.  
Minx wore a hot pink dress that looked sort of purple to Fate. It was long-sleeved, with the sleeves being all lace, and it reached down to just above her knees. It looked like there was a lace dress over a sleeveless dress that was smaller than it. There was a blackish brown belt in the middle that made the dress stand out more. Minx's dark brown shoulder-length hair was up in a high ponytail, and the part of her hair that was dyed purple had been divided and left to rest against her shoulders.

She continued looking and saw Adam, Cathy, Dan and Phil.  
Adam wore a white buttoned-up shirt underneath a dark blue sweater shirt, a pair of black jeans and a pair of black running shoes.  
Cathy was beside Adam, while Dan and Phil were a little bit away from them. She wore a white long-sleeved dress that reached down past her knees. There were buttons on the top in the front that were done up and kind of covered by 2 black strings. The black strings carried down from the neck of Cathy's dress, which was lined black, and Cathy being Cathy wore a pair of black dressy-looking boots that reached up to just past her ankles. Her hair was tied into a braid that rested on her right shoulder.  
Dan and Phil nearly matched each other. They both wore white buttoned-up shirts, black jeans and white running shoes, but Dan wore a black sweater shirt while Phil wore a dark blue one.

She looked around some more a spotted Max G., Renee, Jordan, Charles, Hotaru, Ryeluen and Miharu.  
Max wore a black buttoned-up shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black running shoes.  
Renee wore a white long-sleeved dress, the sleeves all laced, that reached down to her knees. Her hair had been left out, flowing around her shoulders with every little movement.  
Jordan wore a white buttoned-up shirt underneath a black sweater shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black running shoes.  
Charles was one of the guys who wore an actual black suit with everything in the package, except he wore a pair of black running shoes.  
Hotaru was wearing a simple long-sleeved dark purple dress with a light purple cardigan over it, and it reached down to her knees. Her hair was tied into 2 braids and pulled back over the rest of her hair, clipped together with a beautiful silver and white clip.  
Ryeluen wore a red buttoned-up shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black running shoes.  
Miharu wore a dark blue and yellow quarter-sleeved dress that reached down to just above her knees. The very bottom was yellow and the belt in the middle was yellow, the rest of it was left dark blue. Her hair had been left out and Fate found that it reached just past Miharu's shoulders and that it was wavy. It looked pretty.

Fate's eyes landed on Cass and Abygale next.  
Cass wore a long-sleeved black and light gray dress that reached down to her knees. The main part of it was black and the sleeves were light gray. She kept her necklace from before on, which was a simple bronze chain with a gold sun pendant.  
Abygale's dress fit her perfectly and it made Fate smile. It was a long-sleeved dress that reached down to just past her knees. The sleeves were white and the main part of the dress was a black, green and black flannel kind of pattern.

Fate looked down, looking at the simple black long-sleeved dress that she had worn. It reached just past her knees and she had thrown a simple dark gray cardigan over it to make herself feel a little less embarrassed. She didn't really like wearing so little, no matter how much it covered her. She had even kept the Key of Jade and her bracelet on in hopes of them calming her down, but they didn't.

"Yo, idiot and friends."

Fate looked up along with the others when they heard Akina's voice. Namine was with her, like always, but seeing Akina in a dress nearly left Fate mind-blown.

"Akina, you look so beautiful! And you too, Namine!" Fate complimented.

Akina went pink and Namine giggled at her older sisters' reaction. Fate wasn't joking about it, or saying it just to make Akina feel better. She really did look beautiful.  
She wore a sleeveless white and mint green dress with a little black cardigan. The top part was white, which wasn't much but it still stood out on her, and the bottom part was mint green. The bottom part of her dress reached a little past her knees, but that was the front of it. The back of the bottom part of her dress reached down to just above her heels and it made her brown sandals stand out. Her shoulder-length dark brown hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail, the rest of it left flowing around her shoulders.  
Namine's dress matched her older sister's in color. Except, it was long-sleeved, with the sleeves being all lace, and the skirt reached down to her knees only. The middle of the dress was black and she wore a pair of black ankle-tied sandals. Namine's hair had been pulled up into a ponytail, a small braid running along the right side.

"I do not... I just happen to be in a dress..." Akina mumbled, making Fate laugh a bit.

Fate suddenly noticed that Ethan was very pink at the sight of Akina in a dress and it made her smile at her partner.

"But you do. Right, Ethan?" Fate asked.

Her partner jumped at the sound of his name, glancing down at her before making eye contact with Akina. He was red by then and Fate was trying not to sigh at her partner's silence.

"Uh... yah, she looks beautiful..." Ethan agreed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Akina went a darker pink and huffed.

"Well, you don't look half-bad yourself..." She sighed.

Fate shook her head before starting to look around again. That's when her eyes landed on her family. Fate had always loved seeing her parents dress up when she was little, no matter what it was that they were dressed up as or what they were dressing up for. Although her Dad looked normal with just a white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black jeans, she loved seeing her Mom and her Dad together when her Mom was all dressed up.  
Her Mom wore a white and dark blue quarter-sleeved dress, with the top being white and the bottom being dark blue. The sleeves were partially lace and the skirt of the dress reached down to her Mom's knees, and in the middle of the dress there was a little black belt.  
Her older brother was wearing a white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of blue jeans.  
Her little sister was wearing a white and red long-sleeved dress. The sleeves were white, the end of them on her wrists the same red that was on the main part of her dress, which reached down to just past her knees.

Looking around a bit more, Fate found her group of friends, who happened to be with Nate and Tanner at the moment.  
Aaron wore a white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black jeans.  
Krystal was wearing a black sleeveless dress that reached down to her knees. The very bottom of it was white, with a little bit of black, and she wore a black cardigan that covered the top of it.  
Tristan wore a simple white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black jeans.  
Peter wore a white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of blue jeans.  
Sage wore a black, white polka-dotted long-sleeved dress that reached down to her knees.  
Jo wore a dark green a black long-sleeved dress. The top was dark green, minus where the buttons were because that was lined black, and most of it was lace, in which the lace made flower patterns. The skirt of her dress was black and reached down to her knees.  
Nate wore a black jean jacket over a white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black jeans.  
Tanner wore a black and light blue long-sleeved dress that reached her knees. The main part of the top was black, but the sleeves and the bottom of it were light blue.

Fate suddenly saw Rory and Ruri from the corner of her eye and turned so she could see them completely.  
Rory wore a dark blue buttoned-up shirt, in which he had the sleeves rolled up just a bit, and a pair of blue jeans.  
Ruri's dress nearly matched Rory's outfit. The top of her dress was black and quarter-sleeved, and partially laced, while the bottom was light blue and reached down to her knees.

"Hey..."

Fate turned around completely to see Olivia and she smiled. It was weird seeing Olivia in a dress, but she looked good.  
Her dress was a simple black and white one, with the long sleeves being white and the main part of it being black, that reached down to her knees. She had kept the Key of Crimson with her, which didn't surprise Fate. What did surprise Fate was the 2nd necklace Olivia had on. She had always had it, Fate had briefly seen it a couple of times, but it made Fate wonder why it was important enough for Olivia to always wear it. It was a simple silver chain with 3 bronze bullets, 9mm pistol bullets to be exact.

"Hey..." Fate greeted back, making Olivia smile softly.

"You look beautiful. You should wear dresses more often." Olivia complimented.

"You look much more beautiful than I do. I used to always wear that blue dress, remember that one? I still have it, but it's all ripped up and stained with blood from our "wonderful" time on Tenroujima. You should wear dresses and skirts more often instead."

"I don't think I'd feel very comfortable fighting in dresses and skirts... I don't know how some of the others can do it, especially you."

"I don't know. I guess it's because I feel comfortable in it and I always have my leggings on underneath my skirt anyway. I didn't fight much before Tenroujima, but now I kind of don't have much of a choice considering everything. Not that I mind."

They were both quiet for a moment before Fate broke the silence due to being a bit uncomfortable. Plus, she wanted to ask about the necklace.

"So... I know why the Key of Crimson is important, but what about your other necklace?" Fate asked.

"Why is your bracelet important to you?" Olivia asked. Fate quickly glanced at her bracelet.

"Because I made it with my friends and my siblings, back when we were all little." Fate replied.

"Exactly... James, Jonah and I all stole 9 bullets because I had 3 necklace chains and I had nothing to do with them, so we made 3 necklaces with 3 bullets on each. One for James, one for Jonah, and one for me."

Fate let the information sink in and she instantly felt bad.

"S-Sorry..." Fate apologized.

"It's okay. It's the best lasting memory James and I have of him, so it doesn't make us sad or anything." Olivia promised.

Fate nodded and all of the sudden, a pair of hands was on her shoulders and the owner blew on her ear, making her freak out because it all happened at once. She shook herself out of the grip and turned to them with a pout, making Destiny laugh at her.

"Jeez..." Fate sighed.

She turned to Olivia, who now had James by her side. James wore a white buttoned-up shirt and a pair of black jeans and the same 3 bullet necklace as Olivia did. It didn't surprise Fate anymore.

"You saw him coming, didn't you?" Fate asked.

"Sorry, what was I even supposed to say?" Olivia asked, a smile finding its way back onto her face.

Fate huffed, turning back to Destiny, who had stopped laughing and was just smiling at her with an apologetic look in his eyes. Fate's face immediately went pink at the sight of Destiny, now that she wasn't as mad at him as she was before. He wore a simple white buttoned-up shirt and a simple pair of blue jeans, nearly just like her partner, but for some reason it made her all flustered.

"You look beautiful." Destiny complimented, making her face go a darker pink.

"You look nice, too." Fate complimented smiling at him. It made him smile more.

Fate felt Olivia nudge her and she turned to look at the older Exceed, who got close to whisper in her ear.

"Just kiss him already; we all know that you want to." Olivia whispered quickly and quietly to her before running off.

Fate was sure that her face was completely a bright red by then and she nearly sighed.

"What was that about?" Destiny asked.

"N-Not much..." Fate replied.

They were both silent and Fate sighed quietly. Olivia wasn't lying, Fate did want to kiss Destiny, but in a place surrounded by people? Sure, their relationship wasn't a secret anymore, but that didn't calm her nerves when it came to displaying affection in public kinds of places.

Suddenly, Destiny's lips were on hers for a moment before they left, leaving her flustered all over again. She made eye contact with him after seeing that his face was fairly pink.

"What was _**that**_ about...?" Fate asked.

"Sorry... I just wanted to kiss you." Destiny replied.

Fate smiled and pushed herself up so she could reach his lips, capturing them with hers for a moment before pulling away, continuing to smile up at him.

"I don't think either of us should be nervous..." Fate sighed.

"I know... it's just a little embarrassing with other people around." Destiny stated.

"Trust me, I understand that feeling."

They both laughed a bit.

* * *

As all the mages fought over Yukino, Fate couldn't help but laugh. This was their normal nature, for all of the guilds, and she had just been waiting for it. When Arcadios stopped them, she was surprised that they had listened but also glad as well. That was when Arcadios announced that the King would be coming forward to thank every mage, which made everyone shut up and stop fighting entirely.

The doors above opened and everyone waited, hearing the footsteps of the king. However, when he came into view, everyone freaked out. It was Natsu.

However, everyone in Fairy Tail just sighed and shook their heads.

"How are you not bothered by this? He could be getting your guild into some serious trouble."

Fate turned around to see her group of friends and her family, and she smiled at them.

"It's just how Natsu is and everyone knows it, no matter what guild they're in. If you've met Natsu, whether it's through fighting or talking or even both, you'll know that he's certainly not afraid to speak his mind or do what he wants. No matter how extreme, Natsu just goes for it." Fate explained.

"This may be taking it a bit far, though." Ethan reminded his partner.

"Just a bit." Fate laughed nervously.

* * *

"Fate..."

Fate turned around to make eye contact with Nate, nearly scaring her.

"Nate, right...?" Fate asked, just to confirm. Nate nodded.

"I'm sure that Abygale's already told you that I want to talk to you, and what about as well." Nate said. Fate nodded.

"Yes... about that, I'm not sure—"

Nate suddenly grabbed Fate's shoulders, looking more serious than Fate had ever seen anyone be. It almost scared her.

"Just listen to me, please." Nate pleaded.

"O-Okay..." Fate stuttered.

"You know about being Sapphire, having the Key of Jade and all about Noroi, right?" Nate asked.

"U-Uh... I might not know _**everything**_ , but I guess..."

"You know nothing about Hiketsu, do you?"

Fate's eyes widened. How did Nate know so much about her?

"Not really." Fate replied.

"To have all 4 with one person in rare and could possibly be dangerous. The Seekers of Nothing will not stop until they have you and can use you for their plans. You're the one who can either save the world or send it to its demise. So many people believe in you for many different things and no matter how much I want you to save the world, you have to choose which side you want to help."

"Yo think I'd help the Seekers of Nothing? According to my friends and family, they destroyed my hometown. Not to mention that they did horrible things to me and killed one of my friends. Hell, their stupid creations, Hebi's or whatever they're called, almost killed my comrades and my partner almost _**became**_ one of them."

"So you won't help them?"

"Not a chance. Never. So tell me what you want to.

"There's not much to say... except that you're going to save the world."


	28. The Need For A Partner?: Welcome Home!

"Well, should we head home?" Gray asked.

"Last night was so much fun." Happy stated.

The team was packing up in order to head home and was talking while doing so. Akina, Namine and Destiny were going to join them, so they were there with the team. Wendy and Carla had gone out to look for a way to get home.

"Yeah! I ran wild through the palace!" Natsu agreed.

"You pretended to be the king and could've sentenced us all to execution, Natsu." Ethan corrected.

"Aww, leave him be. We're still alive because of him, remember?" Akina asked.

Indeed, Natsu had broken the Eclipse portal to pieces, which was what saved everyone from the 12 dragons, the mini-dragons and the future Rogue.

"That doesn't make much of a difference if we had been, though." Namine replied to her older sister.

"Yah, but we are alive." Akina stated.

"We got to see Takanashi, Sina and Kurai again, so this was a good trip." Fate said. Ethan nodded.

"Makes me wonder… what about your friends and family, Fate?" Ethan asked.

"Master promised that he'd take care of them while we headed back. Not sure what he's up to, but I can't exactly refuse his offer to help." Fate replied. Ethan nodded in understanding.

"I also learned something here in Crocus." Akina declared.

"Oh yah, what is that?" Ethan asked. Akina smirked.

"That Destiny and Fate are in a relationship."

Destiny and Fate both stopped what they were doing, both turning a dark pink as they turned and yelled at Akina not to announce it to the world, making the Dragon Slayer laugh at them.

* * *

They were riding in a carriage, which meant it was a hellish journey for Natsu, Ethan and for some reason… Akina?

"Akina, you have motion sickness as well now?" Namine asked.

"I-I think so…" Akina replied form beside her younger sister.

Ethan was focused on staring out the window to calm his motion sickness even in the slightest, while Natsu was nearly dying beside Wendy. For a reason unknown to everyone in the carriage except Destiny and Fate herself, Fate hadn't been feeling too good either. She was exhausted and Destiny let her use his lap as a pillow while he rubbed her back. It hadn't taken very long for her to fall asleep.

* * *

They had all stopped for a break and Natsu, Ethan and Akina were still wobbly from the ride, so they just lied around. Lucy, Wendy and Carla were making flower crowns while Erza was drawing, and Happy was talking with Natsu. Destiny was leaning against the rock the Natsu and Happy were on, holding Fate tightly while she slept the break away as well.

Gray suddenly got up, walking away from all of them and confusing them. Destiny sighed, thinking back to the huge fight against the dragons in Crocus. That flash of the future had shown him the horrible seen of Fate being dead in his arms and he was having trouble forgetting the feeling.

'I just can't lose her, there's no way I'd be able to live without her… plus, if she really did die, then I would've lost her _**and**_ Micah…'

* * *

"Welcome home, Fairy Tail!"

The cheering people nearly overwhelmed Fate. She had woken up when they were close to getting back, feeling better than when they had started their journey home, and they arrived to everyone in Magnolia welcoming them back. It made her smile, but it was a bit much for her.

That's when Natsu held up something that caught her eye and along with Wendy, Macao and Wakaba, she freaked out. Natsu had stolen the king's crown. He stuffed it back into his bag and took out the King's Cup instead, the proof of their victory.

Fate sighed before she smiled. Everything felt like it was back to normal, just like it had been 7 years ago. Or whatever their normal was, considering how nothing was exactly normal when it came to Fairy Tail. Just the thought made Fate laugh a bit.

"The mayor of Magnolia would like to present you with a token of our appreciation!"

Everyone was quiet, looking over at the mayor.

"Fairy Tail members, this way, please." The mayor said, pointing to the left.

They all turned and looked, gasping in shock and excitement upon seeing what they had. The Fairy Tail guild building, bigger and looking better than ever.

"Fairy Tail is the pride of our town!" The mayor stated. "And so, we wanted to restore the guild's headquarters."

All of the Fairy Tail members cheered in thanks to everyone around them for being kind enough to rebuild their headquarters for them. They all continued to cheer, smile, laugh and even cry in joy.

"Our old HQ is back!"  
"I love this town!"

As they got closer, Master stopped and smirked back at Ethan and Fate, who gasped at the sight of the people in front of the guild.

"Welcome back, Ethan-nii! Fate!"  
"W-Welcome back."  
"Welcome back!"

There stood Takanashi, with Sina on one of her shoulders, Kurai, Krystal, Aaron, Tristan, Peter, Sage, Tenshi, Akuma, Henkou, Yuuki, Nate and Tanner, all of them welcoming the guild back. Abygale ran straight for Nate, who picked the younger Exceed up and held her.

"Master, what…" Ethan trailed off.

"Well, since Takanashi and Kurai politely asked and since Fate didn't argue against my offer to help out her friends and family… I thought it was a perfect chance to have some new members join us!" Makarov explained.

"Master…" Fate mumbled.

"Any objections?" Makarov asked.

Fate smiled and shook her head.

"But, can I ask to have a new rule in the guild?" Fate asked.

"A new rule?" Makarov asked curiously. Fate's smile was huge on her face, almost like a grin.

"Every Exceed must have a human partner. It doesn't matter if it's a Dragon Slayer or not, but they must have one."

* * *

"All this energy… it feels like a totally different guild than before." Chilled said, his smile soft.

"What's with that stupid new rule, though, Fate?" Olivia asked. Fate smiled.

"Just trying to get you guys to socialize a bit. Happy, Carla, Lily, Destiny, Rory, Ruri and I all have partners, so you guys should, too." Fate replied.

"It's only fair…" James sighed.

"It's annoying, that's what it is." Tanner argued.

"Well, you don't _**need**_ to be here."

"And neither do you."

Fate sighed as James and Tanner got in each other's personal space, arguing with each other. Nate seemed to notice the look of helplessness in her eyes and he cleared his throat, catching the fighting Exceeds' attention.

"I think it's a good idea. It gets us acquainted with the others, which is a start to becoming friends with them, and having a partner calls for more help on jobs. You can't join a guild and not do any jobs; doing jobs is one of the main parts of being in a guild. You shouldn't take magic for granted, meaning you shouldn't take Master Makarov allowing us to join for granted either."

They all sighed, taking a moment to register Nate's words.

"Fine, but it's still a stupid rule." Tanner sighed, making Nate smile.

Nate made eye contact with Fate and she mouthed a "thank you" to him, making him nod. Things were going to be a little more interesting in Fairy Tail from then on.


	29. Babysitting and Guns

"Shit…" Fate muttered under her breath, holding her tank top up as she looked at her stomach.

The bump had grown, making it a little more noticeable. If Fate ended up standing a certain way, people with sharp eyes or that were close to her would see the bump. She would have to hug people in certain ways so they wouldn't feel the bump either and it annoyed her just thinking about it.

"Are you okay?"

Fate jumped, dropping her tank top back over her stomach and turning around quickly. She sighed in relief when she saw that it was Destiny and she nodded. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug that she gladly accepted.

"Is that Micah's bump?" Destiny asked, making Fate groan.

"Yes… if I'm not careful, the others will find out." Fate replied.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Fate sighed, shaking her head.

"I just… I don't want them to know just yet. I'm only 12 weeks in, which is 3 months, but I'm just scared of them knowing why I'm pregnant with Micah in the first place." Fate explained.

Destiny rubbed her back slowly and gently, making Fate sigh in content and completely relax. It made him smile before he kissed the side of Fate's head.

"It'll be okay… everything will work out." Destiny promised. Fate sighed and nodded.

* * *

"The rules are simple! Whoever shoots the target from the farthest point is the winner."

Fate smiled and shook her head as she observed Natsu babysitting Asuka while Bisca and Alzack were out on a job. Wendy, Carla, Erza and Lily had banded together to make a cake for Asuka, although Fate was sure that Erza had just grabbed Lily and pulled him along to go strawberry picking.

Natsu and Asuka were "playing a game" together. It was actually a shooting contest, in which Natsu was going to spew flames from his mouth and Asuka was going to shoot her toy gun.

"There's no way I'm going to lose." Natsu stated.

"If you lose, you have to do whatever I say." Asuka declared.

"Likewise!"

"Is this guild full of people like Natsu…?"

Fate glanced over her shoulder, her eyes following Tristan as he walked to stand beside her. Fate smiled and shrugged.

"I suppose. It depends on what you mean by it, Tristan." Fate replied.

"Nevermind…" Tristan sighed.

Fate was about to look back at Natsu and Asuka before catching the sight of something hanging from Tristan's side underneath his shirt and she looked down at it. It was a handgun.

"Tristan…" Fate muttered, getting his attention.

Fate looked down at the gun and then back up at him, and he seemed to understand because he sighed heavily.

"I can't explain everything to you completely… but I'm not going to shoot anyone or even aim this gun at them unless they give me a good reason to." Tristan promised.

"If you do, I swear I'll take it and use it against you. I'm not the same little girl who refused to kill a fruit fly or even hurt it." Fate stated.

"I'll count on you if I make a wrong move, then."

* * *

Asuka had won and was now riding on Natsu's back, pretending that he was a horse. She even made him neigh and everyone laughed at him. She told him to run to the park like that and Natsu agreed. When he ran past Macao and Wakaba, Macao told him to take care of Asuka because there had been rumors of dangerous characters around town.

* * *

Lucy, Happy, Fate and Tristan sat on the grass in the park, watching as Natsu ran from Asuka because she was shooting at him with her toy gun.

"Why did I have to chaperone?" Lucy asked, sighing.

"For one thing, I worry about Natsu looking out for her on his own." Happy replied.

"Why did you drag me along?" Fate asked.

" _ **I**_ should be asking that question…" Tristan sighed, falling onto his back and lying there.

"Well Fate, you take such good care of Abygale that I figured Asuka-chan shouldn't be much trouble either." Happy replied.

"She's getting better at not having me around… then again, she stays with Nate otherwise…" Fate sighed. "And I dragged you along because I just did."

Tristan sighed, sitting up when he heard Asuka's footsteps. Natsu jump into the bushes soaking wet from jumping into the fountain and they all sighed.

"Next, I wanna go out on a job!" Asuka said.

"You can't do that." Lucy stated.

"You're still too little." Happy agreed.

"You're little, too, Happy! Tristan, too, and Fate most of all!" Asuka argued.

"Hey, hey…" Fate sighed as Tristan laughed at Asuka's comment about them.

"Why do you wanna go out on a job?" Natsu asked from behind the bushes.

"'Cause there's something that I want, see? So if I get money, then, you know…" Asuka replied.

"Cheeky little brat…"

Fate couldn't help but giggle at Natsu's quiet comment.

"I see. But that's something you'd better ask your parents about." Lucy said.

Asuka suddenly started to whimper, tears brimming her eyes.

"He promised…" Asuka mumbled.

"Okay, okay!" Natsu decided.

"Should we go back to the guild and check the request board?" Lucy asked.

"Really!?" Asuka asked.

"Leave it to me!" Happy replied, flying off with his Aera.

"Yay! Thanks!" Asuka cheered.

"Are you sure you want to bring a little girl on jobs?" Tristan asked.

"Happy is smart. He'll choose a really easy and a really safe job for us to do." Fate replied.

* * *

When Happy returned, he had chosen several jobs for them to do. The first one they did counted on Lucy, since it was an understudy in a water fountain.

" _ **Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee! Aquarius!**_ "

But like always, Aquarius was pissed off at Lucy. Even more so because she was in a fairly small fountain and Asuka was splashing water at her. A couple even got engaged on the other side of the fountain, which pissed Aquarius off more. However, when Asuka called her a beautiful lady, she said that she'd let it slide.

The next couple of jobs they took weren't so bad if they were going to be honest. For basically being a stove, Natsu took care of it. For a delivery, Happy took care of it, and they were on a roll from there.

* * *

Asuka took them to a pawn shop and used all of the money on one thing, a snow globe. Or at least, it looked like one. It was actually a Lacrima and it made them smile because of how beautiful it was.

"This is a keepsake from Papa and Mama." Asuka added, catching the attention of all of them.

"A keepsake?" Natsu asked.

"Why was it in a pawn shop?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. But I walked by that shop with Papa and Mama once before." Asuka replied.

"I see. So you wanna give it back to your parents, huh?"

"Yeah!"

Fate noticed the scowl on Tristan's face and it reminded her that only Peter and Sage were left of his family, but only Peter by blood. They had talked when everyone got back to Magnolia and that was when Tristan told her that.

Aria Keynes, Tristan and Peter's Mom, died right after Fate had left Arrine. She had taken in Sage and then died of an illness that she hadn't shared about with her family. William Keynes, their father, had started to abuse all 3 of them because he couldn't handle the loss of his wife.

When the Seekers of Nothing attacked Arrine, Peter had taken Sage to her safe spot, a closet upstairs while Tristan guarded the house. He had to watch Emhyr, one of the Seekers of Nothing, murder his Dad. Even though he hated his father, family was still family and the effort had been for nothing at all because Arrine fell and Tristan, Peter and Sage were taken away and locked up with the others.

Fate understood why Tristan had the gun; it was so he could protect who he cared for, but she still wasn't too sure if she wanted Tristan to have it or not. Not to mention that the scowl on his face didn't suit the Tristan she knew.

Fate placed a hand on one of his shoulders, getting his attention, and she smiled softly at him. He knew that she wanted him to stop scowling, so he nodded and seemed to apologize under his breath, but she just shook her head and pulled her hand away.

All of the sudden when they turned, someone stole Asuka's Lacrima. Asuka didn't hesitate to run after them, even if they were flying, and to yell at them to give it back. She suddenly stopped, whipping out her toy gun and firing at them as she continued to yell at them to give it back. Asuka started to cry when her toy gun didn't work.

Natsu suddenly pushed down Asuka's hat so she couldn't see for some reason. He seemed to be looking up at the people who took her Lacrima and suddenly yelled at her to fire her toy gun. Asuka did so and Natsu covered each of her shots in fire. They hit the people in the air and they fell straight to the ground in front of them.

Natsu collected the Lacrima, but a gun was suddenly held up to him and he was threatened. Fate sighed, walking forward to stand beside Natsu.

"I noticed it with Asuka-chan and let it go because she's still got a lot to learn, but you're an adult for the Mavis' sake…" Fate sighed, pointing at the gnu. "You aren't supposed to put your finger on the trigger until you're absolutely ready to shoot."

The guy pulled his gun away, checking where his finger was on the gun. It gave Asuka the chance to shoot him with her toy gun and Natsu followed her lead, punching the guy with his fist after covering it in fire. The other guys ran away and Asuka turned to Fate.

"How do I hold my gun properly?" Asuka asked.

Fate was surprised that Asuka had asked her, but she smiled and helped Asuka with how to hold it, instructing her on her posture when she was going to shoot. Asuka gladly followed Fate's instructions while the others watched with smiles on their faces. When Asuka's stance was practically perfect, Fate told her to remember it and suddenly got serious.

"One more thing, Asuka-chan. You have to promise me that you'll always remember it." Fate said.

"I promise!" Asuka promised.

"Never aim a real gun at someone unless you're sure that you can handle their life on your shoulders. It doesn't matter who, but if you're not going to shoot them, then don't aim a gun at them."

Asuka seemed to let it sink in and then she smiled and nodded.

"When I get a real gun, I'll make sure to remember that!" Asuka promised.

Fate smiled and nodded as well.

"Good."

* * *

"What was that about?"

Fate turned to Tristan with a confused look.

"What was what about?" Fate asked.

"The whole lecture thing… Why tell that to a little girl?" Tristan asked.

"Better sooner than later."

"That's not what I mean, Fate!"

Fate sighed and turned to look at Tristan once again, making eye contact with him.

"Tristan, you know what we have in common." Fate sighed.

"Yah, I'm aware, but…" Tristan trailed off.

"We've both killed someone by shooting them with the same kind of guns."


	30. Her Miracle

"Huh…?"

"What would you be happy to get as a present?" Juvia asked again.

Everyone at the table exchanged looks before looking back at Juvia.

"Are you filling in for Santa Clause this year, Juvia-nee?" Abygale asked.

"No, Juvia just wants to get everyone's opinions so she can get a gift for someone special to her." Juvia replied.

"Gray, huh?" Akina asked.

"How did you know!?"

"It's obvious." Everyone replied before they went into deep thinking.

"Now that I think about it, Gray isn't very easy to get gifts for…" Ethan sighed.

"He enjoys being naked whenever he can be, I know that much." Minx stated.

"He just has a stripping habit, Minx…" Chilled sighed at his twin sister.

"No matter how much they fight, aren't Gray and Natsu alike? Natsu would probably like to get food, so why not try baking a cake or something? If it's handmade, he might even like it more." Ryeluen said. Everyone stared at him. "What?"

"You're not the kind to be interested in this stuff, usually." Miharu replied.

"In any case, Ryeluen-san has a good idea that you should try out." Hotaru said.

"If all else fails, I'm sure you'll come up with something. You're smart." Fate said. Juvia nodded.

"Thank you, everyone! Juvia will try her best to make Gray-sama a delicious cake!"

In an instant, Juvia was gone and everyone exchanged looks again.

"Juvia-san knows how to cook?" Kurai asked.

Everyone suddenly froze and sighed nervously.

"Well, this'll be interesting at least…" Ruri said, trying to lighten everyone's mood.

* * *

"It's cold…"  
"It's pretty~!"

Destiny smiled when he heard Fate complain and Abygale exclaim. Abygale immediately ran into a deeper patch of snow, throwing it up it the air as she ran around in it. Fate was shivering as the snow fell since it was cold and could barely focus. Destiny noticed and smiled even more.

"Did you forget you jacket at the guild?" Destiny asked. Fate nodded.

"I'm so stupid… I know its cold, yet I forgot to grab it." Fate replied.

Suddenly, Destiny's jacket was wrapped around her, along with his arms. Fate's cheeks were instantly dusted a dark pink due to the sudden warmth she felt and she leaned into Destiny's embrace.

"This is Abygale's first time seeing snow, she convinced me to bring her out. You didn't have to follow us if it was cold." Destiny sighed.

"Yah, but I wanted to. She's like a daughter to me and I wanted to see her reaction. I wonder if Micah will like snow…" Fate mumbled.

"I'm sure he will."

They were silent for a moment before Fate mumbled something that Destiny didn't catch.

"What did you say?" Destiny asked, confused.

"Michael will be born in January and I don't want anything to happen to him until he's born, safe and sound and most of all, healthy. But I have this really bad feeling that so many horrible things are going to happen, whether they affect Micah or not." Fate explained.

"Fate…"

"I'm admitting that I'm scared, Destiny. Nate says that I'm going to save the world and Abygale believes in me to do so, but how can I do anything while I'm carrying another life on my shoulders the whole time? Sapphire was the leader of the group, she always is… but how am I supposed to be a leader when I can't protect one boy who 2 years older than me?"

"Fate, stop beating yourself up over Jonah's death, please… that's over, and James and Olivia are living on just fine _**because of you**_. Because you're around, they don't feel the need to be upset. I know them more than you think, but that's not the point. If you want to be a leader, you have to accept that death happens and yes, it's sad. But with one life lost, another life comes into the world. It happens every second, someone dies and someone starts living."

Fate was quiet as she leant against Destiny's shoulder, letting his words sink in. She really was an idiot, counting on him to be the light that pulls her out of the darkness whenever it crept up on her. He was always there when she needed him and it made her feel a little bad, but he always made her feel better about anything that she needed reassuring on.

"Thank yo—"

Fate was cut off by a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen, and it wasn't cramps. The pain was enough to make her cut herself off with a shriek and fall to her knees, clutching her stomach. Destiny fell down after her, catching her in his arms before she could hit the ground and damage her knees.

"Are you okay!? What's wrong, Fate!?" Destiny asked, obviously panicking.

When Fate looked up, Destiny's expression was priceless when he saw the smile on her face and the tears of joy that were running down her cheeks. She was sobbing from the pain that continued to pound in her abdomen, but the pain was nothing because of what was causing it.

"Micah's kicking."

Destiny's eyes widened at her words, his eyes instantly moving down to her stomach. He smiled, knowing that she was okay.

"God, he's so strong that it hurts, but it's almost like nothing straight after…" Fate explained through her tears and sobs.

"Well, at least now we know he'll pack a punch and he'll be fairly fast." Destiny joked, making Fate laugh as she leaned against him.

"Do you want to feel?"

Destiny bit his lip, trying not to seem eager as he nodded. He slipped his hand under Fate's tank top, making her shiver from the sudden coldness, before resting it on her stomach. It only took a second for Micah to kick his hand, nearly making him recoil from the sudden harsh kick.

'God, he really is strong…' Destiny thought, his smile only getting bigger with every kick he felt.

Feeling Micah's little foot against the palm of his hand nearly sent him into tears each time and Destiny kissed Fate's forehead. He knew that she was in pain from all of the kicking, but she was holding up pretty good considering how rough Micah's kicks were.

"I think Micah will be really healthy Fate… he's really kicking." Destiny said between little laughs of excitement and disbelief.

Fate nodded, her sobs calming down and her tears being able to be held back. She pulled away a little in order to bring Destiny into a kiss, resting her forehead against his afterwards. She wanted to believe that Micah was her miracle and kissing Destiny had brought her to one thought; that Fairy Tail and everyone in it was her miracle.


	31. Jobs Get You Stuck

Fate hadn't been too keen about the idea of heading off on a job with Ethan, Takanashi, Sina and Kurai only. It hadn't been a very good idea in her mind, but she had allowed Ethan to drag her along. The stupid thing was the _**reason**_ she let Ethan pull her along.

Tristan and Kurai had become partners earlier in the day. They had gotten into a childish argument that lead to a war of rock-paper-scissors. Fate wasn't sure what they had fought about, but she knew that she didn't want to send Tristan off with some others without anyone supervising him.

She trusted her best friend, but she knew that it was possible for anyone to change in just a second. With that fully-loaded gun on him, she wasn't too accepting off him going off on a job with her partner in the group.

It was a simple job anyway, just taking down some bandits on the outskirts of a small town, so Fate didn't figure it would be too hard on her. She needed to take it easy because her pregnancy was flying by and she only had a month or so to go, so it was important that she took it easy and didn't lie on her back because it could hurt Micah.

Mira was ecstatic to find out the baby's name and that he had been kicking for a good amount of time, and so was her Mom. In fact, her Mom had given her some advice for some things that she wasn't sure about and showed her different ways to hide the bump she had. Fate's bump wasn't much bigger, but it would definitely be noticeable if she wasn't extra careful.

Fate still didn't have the guts to tell anyone else about Micah, no matter how suspicious they might've gotten. Rory had come _**this close**_ to finding out, but she was able to lead him off of her case.

As for the job, Fate was wrong about it not going to be too hard on her. Even just fighting a group of bandits could lead down a road that none of them wanted to run onto, but they just couldn't avoid it. There was no way to avoid what was ahead unless you could see into the future clearly and understand what the world's trying to tell you. In which, none of them in that group could.

* * *

After visiting the mayor of the town, the group took watch where the bandits always appeared from. It didn't take long for the bandits to show up and when they did, it didn't take long for the group to take them all out and finish up the job.

* * *

On the short trek back to Magnolia, Fate had frozen where she stood due to an awfully familiar feeling. The feeling she had felt when someone's eyes were on her, but she couldn't pinpoint where she had felt the feeling before. She continued after the others, worried about being left behind, and tried not to think of it. It was nothing.

* * *

It had been something, as Fate and her group were now at the bottom of a hole. There were several passages to lead them different places, since it was obvious they couldn't get back up. Kurai asked about Fate and Tristan's Aera, and about Sina's wings, but they all were a no-go. Sina would get tired too quickly and Fate and Tristan had used too much magic back at the town. Not to mention the continuous string of jobs they had been on since the **Grand Magic Games**.

They decided to choose a path and to head down it until they came across _**something**_ _._ It apparently didn't matter what as long as they came across something. They all chose different paths and them being them, they chose through a war of rock-paper-scissors. Fate somehow won and they took the path that she chose.

* * *

Fate regretted it nearly right away due to the feeling of something always being around the group and for how dark it was. She could barely see anything and to calm herself down, she grabbed Tristan's hand and held it tightly. Even through the dark, Fate could've sworn she saw him smile cheekily as he returned the favor and it made her pout a bit.

All of the sudden, the Key of Jade erupted into a bright light, nearly blinding her, before it winded down to the level that a flashlight might've been at. Fate was confused, but she was glad to have a sense of direction now that she could see.

"Did you do that, partner?" Ethan asked. Fate shook her head.

"I just felt uncomfortable being in the dark... I guess it responded." Fate replied.

"To emotion...?" Takanashi asked. Fate shrugged.

They all were about to continue walking when they suddenly realized what was in front of them and no matter what the reason was, they were all glad that the Key of Jade was a source of light. Fate felt nauseous at just the sight of it all and she had to swallow hard to avoid throwing up.

On the ground in front of all of them was a little hole... and it was full of bones. All kinds of bones, whether it was a human or an animal or even an Exceed, there were just bones. And they were covered in blood. Some looked old and some looked new, and it made them want to turn around, but you had to get through the bad to get to the good.

They all stepped over or around the hole and they continued walking silently, not sure of what to talk about after seeing a sight like that. They had seen worse, but that didn't stop it from disturbing their normal thoughts. It had given the rest of them the same bad feeling that Fate had, although hers was growing by the second.

She felt Tristan suddenly squeezing her hand tightly and she nudged him with her elbow. He realized that he was doing and he loosened his grip, apologizing under his breath. Fate only nodded, unsure of why he had been holding on so tight.

* * *

Not in her whole life did Fate think she would ever fight plants. When they first met the group from their guild when they were travelling, they had to fight those stupid things that they had been trying to deal with. But now things had just gotten ridiculous.

When the group thought that they had reached the end of the passage, tough plants that could've been mistaken of thick vines sprouted out of the ground. They nearly separated everyone, but they managed to stay together until the plants stopped moving, then they started to work on getting through the plants. It was harder than they thought; it nearly took half a minute from them all to pull one down.

Fate suddenly felt something pulling at her feet and didn't even have time to look down before her feet were suddenly pulled into the ground, soon followed by her whole body. She had enough time to let out a quick scream before everything turned black around her.

* * *

When it was no longer dark, Fate didn't know where she was. Probably further down, but she couldn't exactly tell. She was still a light source and because of it, she was able to see the person beside her. It was Tristan and he had a tight grip on one of her hands. He must've grabbed it and been pulled down with her, which made her sigh.

Fate winced when she felt Micah kick, but it let her know that he was alright after whatever the hell had happened. It turned into a sigh of relief soon after before Fate looked around a bit. Going forward from the spot she was in would probably be the best idea since the place she was in just happened to be unfamiliar, but she needed to wake Tristan up first.

Fate placed her free hand on Tristan's shoulder and shook him a bit harsher than she had expected herself to be. Tristan stirred and she shook him a bit more, knowing his habit to stir and then go back to sleep.

"Tristan, get up..." Fate mumbled.

Tristan groaned, draping his free arm over his eyes as he winced, probably from the light that Fate's Key was emitting, in which she silently apologized. She shook Tristan more and he dropped his arm, his chocolate brown eyes meeting her sapphire blue ones. He instantly sat up, having remembered their situation, and looked around.

"Where are we?" Tristan asked.

"Under the tunnel we had been in, I think." Fate replied.

"Great... what even happened?"

"I don't know... I blacked out..."

Tristan sighed heavily before he stood up, pulling Fate up with him.

"Let's just walk and see what happens..." Tristan suggested.

Fate sighed. They didn't have much else to do, but she didn't like the idea of just wandering around aimlessly with barely any sense of direction. They were both stuck down there without the knowledge of an exit and the both already knew that all of these tunnels were most likely graveyards. But if whatever, or whoever, was among them and their group, they could be in a lot of trouble.


	32. Callias Dain Minnet

Fate's feet were sore from walking through the seemingly endless tunnel with Tristan by her side. A way out seemed just as good to them as a bottle of water probably would seem for a runner. Fate knew that if Micah decided to kick her in the next few minutes or so, he'd be the reason she fell instead of her own exhaustion.

Everytime Fate decided to hum in order to keep herself occupied and distracted from the current situation, Tristan would look back at her with an annoyed look. Then again, all she could think of to hum were children's songs. She knew that Tristan wasn't actually annoyed because of her humming, but she'd stop anyway.

Since they had been walking for so long, Fate focused on the little things that were around, such as the ground underneath her feet as they walked. That only made her bump into Tristan when he stopped unexpectedly, nearly making her fall. She managed to keep her balance and she opened her mouth to yell at him before realizing something.

Even if it just led them to a small open area, they had found a way out of the tunnel they were in. Fate smiled and was about to run out when Tristan put out a hand to stop her, making her confused.

"Tris—"

Tristan shushed Fate, being quiet with the shushing, before glancing around the left corner of the tunnel. Fate took a couple of steps forward to take a look, but she only ran into Tristan's hand. He suddenly pulled it away, turning around to face her and making her jump.

Tristan's hand slowly closed into a fist and his expression showed that he was confused in a way, but also trying to register some thoughts. It made Fate realize that she had run into his hand, which was low enough to touch her stomach, and that meant that he had probably felt the bump.

"Fate... are you _**pregnant**_?" Tristan asked quietly.

Fate took a deep breath and exhaled without making too much noise, Tristan's eyes piercing straight into hers, before nodding a little. She and Tristan were best friends to the point where even their nods were different and had separate meanings. The nod she had given told him that it was a long story and would have to be told later, making him nod a little as well.

"Why did you stop?" Fate asked quietly.

Tristan swallowed hard and Fate could tell that he did. When he motioned for her to move around him to look carefully, she didn't hesitate to in order to know what Tristan had seen. She figured it wouldn't be something that they couldn't deal with, but when her eyes landed on the sight, she couldn't look away.

The dark goldenrod yellow fur and the orange eyes of the Exceed standing in front of an all-too-familiar one who was trapped at his feet by the plants from before. Not once in her life did Fate think she would see Jered Asher helpless before another Exceed as he yelled, pleaded and begged for him to spare someone. Whose life he wanted the other Exceed to spare, Fate and Tristan didn't know. All they knew was that Asher actually looked helpless and sorry.

Fate and Tristan glanced at each other, making eye contact with each other for a quick moment before looking back. Asher was being held onto the ground and he was struggling to try and get out of the plants' grip, but he couldn't and the other Exceed was just watching with a smirk. When he spoke, his voice sent shivers down Fate's spine and they didn't leave.

"Think of this as a punishment for not accepting your job."

Fate felt cold and she was sure that Tristan did, too. He was shaking as he listened to the Exceeds' voice and his hand grazed against Fate's until she just grabbed his hand, holding it to try and steady his shaking.

When Fate heard Asher's voice, she couldn't believe how it sounded. It was hoarse like he had been screaming and it was strained like he was holding back a bunch of sobs, but it mostly sounded innocent. It wasn't like before. Before, it was cold, empty and almost sickly sweet... but now it was almost like a child's voice.

"You can't do this! You can't hurt her! Please, do whatever you want with me, just don't hurt her!" Asher yelled.

The other Exceed's smirk only grew as he chuckled.

"You're such an idiot. She's naive... she just needs a little _**lesson**_."

The Exceed turned and started to walk away, making Asher scream at him. When rock fell from the roof and clinked against the rock underneath his feet, Asher froze before screaming more. As the Exceed disappeared from sight, Asher screamed his full name.

" _ **Callias Dain Minnet**_!"

When Fate heard Asher's helpless scream, she couldn't just watch him struggle and scream. The roof above him was breaking and it was breaking fast, but if she could cut him free then he could survive. She couldn't leave him, she wasn't that broken to the point where she couldn't think about other lives.

Fate ignored Tristan as she quickly grabbed her pocket knife from one of her skirt pockets and she ran out, heading straight for Asher. Fate had always carried the pocket knife around, but it was always in her backpack instead of one of her pockets, so she never really got a chance to use it.

When Fate started to cut the plants, they swung at her and tried to grab her as well, but she swung at them as well and made them back off. It didn't take long for Fate to cut Asher loose, but by then, the roof above them had crumbled enough for it to fall.

Tristan pulled on Fate's arm before he grabbed Asher, running out of the way with Fate straight behind him as the ground behind them basically exploded from the impact. It knocked all of them off of their feet and straight into the ground.

"You're an idiot..." Tristan groaned, making Fate sigh and laugh a little.

"Yah, but you love this idiot..." Fate sighed.

"Fair enough..."

* * *

"Hold on, you can't just save me and then tie me up! I don't know you people! Stop it!"

Fate kind of wanted to slap Asher, but she also wanted to slap Tristan. She didn't know if tying Asher up was necessary or not, but he had been an enemy towards Fairy Tail, so she let Tristan bind his wrists together at least. When Tristan stood up, stepping away from Asher, Asher flinched as if one of them was going to hurt him.

"Wh-What are you both going to do with me...?" Asher asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe we'll just leave you here, but we _**could**_ torture you and kill you afterwards." Tristan replied with a cold glare.

Asher seemed to grit his teeth together as his eyes filled with tears and Fate knew that Tristan had gone too far.

"Tristan, Fairy Tail doesn't kill their enemies no matter how bad they are. No matter what they've done or what they plan to do; _**we do not kill our enemies**_." Fate declared.

"But Fate, he—"

Fate shook her head, cutting Tristan off. Tristan let out a heavy sigh before nodding, grabbing Asher by his shirt collar and making him stand before grabbing one of his arms so he wouldn't run. Tristan turned to Fate, who walked ahead a bit before turning back to face Tristan again.

"So, what do we do, Little Rain?" Tristan asked. Fate smiled at her old nickname from him, but only for a second.

"We're going to find the others and we're going to take him back to the guild. No one will be happy to see him, but he holds all of the information that the Seekers of Nothing do." Fate replied.

Tristan nodded before they both started walking, Tristan pulling Asher along behind him.

"I-I don't know—"

"Cut the act." Tristan sighed in annoyance, cutting Asher off. Asher only continued.

"Please, you have to let me explain! I—"

"I said to cut the act!"

Fate wasn't going to listen to this all day. It was bad enough that when they got to the guild, everyone would be yelling and she knew some of them would want to physically hurt Asher. She knew that she would have to explain everything and she wasn't up for whining, complaining and yelling all day. It made her wonder how raising Micah was going to be.

"Both of you stop it, right now!" Fate yelled back at them, making Tristan quiet. Asher, however, continued going.

"Please, I can explain _**everything**_ if you just listen to me!" Asher pleaded.

Fate took a moment and sighed, shrugging.

"Well, it's not like we got anything else to do. Try and sound convincing, Asher." Fate said.

Asher seemed to take a moment to think and he looked really confused.

"Hold on, how do you know my last name?" Asher asked.

"You specifically introduce yourself to everyone you meet. Jered Asher, right?" Fate asked. Asher nodded, but he still looked confused. He suddenly looked hopeful.

"Wait, do you know Ellena!?"

"We don't know any Ellena's..."

Asher suddenly looked crushed and he averted his gaze to the ground.

"Callias still has her... he's going to hurt her and there's nothing I can do about it..." Asher mumbled, confusing both Tristan and Fate.

They both stopped, making him stop, and he looked up at them.

"Asher would've teleported away by now. Is there a seal on your magic or something?" Tristan asked.

"You better explain everything right now." Fate said, making Asher flinch.

"Wh-What do you even want me to explain!?" Asher asked.

"Anything and everything!"

"I-I... I don't even know the both of you! I only know Ellena and Callias! I don't know whatever Fairy Tail is or the Seekers of Nothing or whatever! All I know is that my name is Jered Asher and my little sister is Ellena Asher! She's really ill and Callias promised to help, but when I took his offer, everything went black! I know that I know what happened, but I just can't remember!"

Complete silence was what scared Asher the most, so when Fate spoke, he felt at ease. Only a little because he was still tied up, but a little bit was better than nothing.

"Callias Dain Minnet, the Exceed from before, right?" Fate asked. Asher nodded.

"He's a Dark Mage who uses Mind Magic... I think he might've taken over my mind and used me because I wanted to help Ellena, but... he's probably going to kill her anyway..." Asher replied.

Fate was quiet as she took in all of the information and Tristan wasn't sure of what to think. Everything barely made sense, but it all added up anyway.

Jered Asher had just wanted to protect his little sister and from the sound of it, all they had left was each other. Callias had come along and offered to help, but Asher had only sealed a deal for Callias to take over his mind and use him; to frame Asher for his crimes.  
Callias had taken over Aaron's mind and hurt Fate and Destiny.  
Callias had entered Fate's mind, pulling her into those nightmares and hurting her more.  
Callias was the one with a sickly sweet voice that had fought Fate once.

It was all Callias Dain Minnet; Jered Asher was innocent.


	33. Never Thank a Person for Saving a Life

The walk was quiet except for the occasional movement of pebbles. Fate had tested Asher's memory with stupid, little questions and he truly didn't remember anything. With Asher's eyes focused on the ground, Fate knew that he only thought that he had one purpose and that was to go get Ellena, and then protect her. No exceptions were going to be made, especially not when it came to family.

"Can I ask you something?"

Fate glanced over her shoulder at Asher, nodding in reply. He looked down again for a moment before looking back up, his dark brown eyes meeting Fate's sapphire blue ones.

"What's the point of living if we're just going to die?" Asher asked softly.

Fate took a deep breath, exhaling in a sigh.

"I think the reason of living even though we're going to die... is challenging ourselves. We know that the inevitable is coming, but none of us actually know when. As we go around the obstacles, we get closer and closer and we know that we can't go back. Whenever we look back, we see how far we are and we don't stop until we reach where we can. In the end, I don't think any of us will have any regrets because regrets only make our road longer." Fate explained. "I think."

"Get that off a fortune cookie?" Tristan asked in joking way.

"Oh, I am never buying you ice cream ever again!" Fate joked, making Tristan laugh.

* * *

When Fate heard the ground underneath her feet crack, she knew it wasn't good. When she turned around to see the cave behind all 3 of them crumbling, Fate's heart dropped. She saw Tristan's terrified face and quickly grabbed her pocket knife, grabbing Asher and turning him towards her. He looked just as terrified and Fate probably did, too. She didn't hesitate to cut the rope binding his wrists together before yelling at the both of them to run, leading the way through the tunnel ahead.

Fate felt like she was running through deep snow, or in or out of the ocean. Her feet were heavy when she lifted them and it felt like they smashed into the ground when they went back down. It was almost as if there was no oxygen because her breaths were quick and shallow.

She suddenly heard something that caused her to stop, making her fall behind Tristan and Asher. When Tristan yelled at her, she pushed what she heard into the back of her mind and ran after the 2 Exceeds.

As she ran, the ground in front of her suddenly broke, causing her to stop and freeze. The cave basically broke in half, separating her, Tristan and Asher. When Fate could see again, she looked up to see Tristan yelling at her to jump. The cave was still crumbling and when Fate looked down, she swallowed hard at the long way to her possible death. The one time she couldn't use Aera and it would be useful.

"Fate, don't stall! Hurry up and jump!" Tristan yelled. Fate slowly shook her head, unable to remove her eyes from the long way down.

"I can't!" Fate yelled back, holding onto the wall for support.

"Yes, you can! I promise that I'll catch you! If there's one thing I know for sure about you, it's that you can do anything!"

Fate shook her head again, glancing up at Tristan before looking back down. Tears started to cloud her vision as breathing got a bit harder and her heart felt like it racing, but also slowing down.

"Tristan, I think that I'm scared of heights!" Fate yelled. Her voice seemed to come out in one big pant and Tristan instantly panicked.

"Fate, you have to calm down! You're sending yourself into a panic attack, you need to take deep breaths and think about something else! Then, you _**have**_ to jump or we'll be separated and I know that you're scared of being alone!" Tristan yelled, holding out his arms for when she was ready.

As tears slipped out of Fate's eyes, she took slow, deep breaths and instantly thought of her guild. That thought led to thinking about her friends, her family and eventually Destiny, who made her think of Micah.

'Don't look down... You've known Tristan most of your life, you can trust him. He'll catch you.' Fate thought to herself, looking up at Tristan who still had his arms open and was waiting for her.

She took a deep breath and backed up a bit before running forward, jumping the best she could. Tristan was only able to catch one of her wrists and because she freaked and grabbed the same hand with her other hand, he was able to hold her while the other part of the cave completely collapsed.

Tristan tried pulling Fate up, but he realized how much of his strength was gone and he cursed under his breath. Fate suddenly looked up, making him look up and he cursed aloud. The roof was crumbling and if he didn't pull Fate up, there was no way that she'd survive rocks falling on her.

No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't pull her up. It would be easier if he could pull her up by wrapping his arms around her body, but since he had her by both of her wrists he could easily lose her if he wasn't careful.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of red and Fate got lighter. However, she got lighter to the point where Tristan pulled her straight on top of him and he tripped, falling backwards. He sat up with Fate in his arms, watching as the roof collapsed and sighing in relief and annoyance.

"I still hate you... but thank you." Tristan panted, making eye contact with Asher, who shook his head.

"You shouldn't thank someone for saving a life." Asher stated. "At some point, they might've taken one."


	34. Forget & Commit

_"Please, just leave us alone! We don't have anything to give to you!"_

 _A younger Fate cowered behind a younger Tristan, clinging to his arm. They had both been cornered at a dead end by 2 older Exceeds who had knives and were threatening to hurt them if the younger Exceeds didn't give them everything they had._

 _"You have clothes." One of them stated, making Tristan growl._

 _"And your little girlfriend has a bag. There's gotta be some stuff that you can offer." The other one added._

 _"Females have_ _ **a lot**_ _to offer."_

 _They both smirked and laughed a bit as Tristan pushed Fate behind him a little more, the younger girl still clinging to him._

 _"Well, hand everything you have over! Your clothes, your money, your snacks and food, all of it!" The first Exceed ordered._

 _Tristan held up his hands in surrender as they moved closer, grabbing coins from his pocket. He was about to throw them over when he heard the cocking of a gun, looking up and realizing that the 2 older Exceeds were backing away slowly._

 _Tristan glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening at Fate. She was holding a handgun up to the older Exceeds with a look of apology, almost as if she couldn't control what she was doing._

 _"Ame, why..." Tristan trailed off, not understanding why his best friend would even have a gun._

 _"Please, leave Tristan and I alone." Ame pleaded, almost choking on air and not answering Tristan._

 _"Now, now, little girl... You shouldn't play around with those things, they're dangerous for even adults to have... you could seriously hurt someone or yourself." The 2_ _nd_ _Exceed explained, backing up with the other Exceed._

 _Both of their hands were held up in a surrendering way instead of Tristan's, which he had put down. Ame quickly glanced down at the gun, but quickly looked back up._

 _"Drop your knives and leave." Ame ordered, making the Exceeds exchanged looks. "My Dad works on the wall, this is his gun. I was just curious and I know how to use it. I will shoot if you threaten us any further, so please... drop your weapons and leave."_

 _"You don't_ _ **really**_ _know how to use it... you're just a scared little kid." The 1_ _st_ _Exceed accused._

 _"I'm using a semi-automatic pistol. A semi-automatic pistol harnesses the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. After a round is fired, the spent casing is ejected and a new round from the magazine is loaded into the chamber, allowing another shot to be fired as soon as the trigger is pulled again. Most pistols use recoil operation to do this but some pistols use blowback or gas operation. Most types of semi-automatic pistols rely on a removable magazine to store ammunition before it is fired, usually inserted inside the grip."_

 _The Exceeds shut up and the 1_ _st_ _Exceed put down his knife, yet the 2_ _nd_ _didn't move for a moment. When he did though, he charged towards the kids with his knife in hand and Ame froze. When Tristan yelled at her to shoot, her finger instantly wrapped around the trigger and she pulled it._

 _The gunshot was loud and clear, and the gun dropped to the ground as Ame stared at what she had down. She had shot the Exceed straight in the head and the other Exceed ran away in fear that she'd shoot him, too._

 _Tristan grabbed the gun, shoving it into her bag before grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the scene. Ame collapsed a couple of blocks away and started to cry, making Tristan fall to his knees and pull her into a tight hug._

 _"Why do you have your Dad's gun, Ame? Why did you shoot?" Tristan asked. "Why did you raise it at all? Life's more important than clothes and money."_

 _"I-I don't know... I was curious about how carrying a gun around felt and I didn't think it was loaded! You know what blanks are, right? That's what I wanted to do; I didn't mean to actually k-kill him, Tristan!" Ame replied, crying on her best friend's shoulder._

 _He rubbed her back in a comforting way as she sobbed._

 _"I'm going to spend the night at your place and sit beside you in class while you forget about this, okay? You gotta forget. You have to put your Dad's gun back where you took it from and you_ _ **have to forget**_ _."_

* * *

"I can't believe that we had to come save your asses."

Ethan groaned at Akina's words, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. She, Namine, Destiny and Cass had been sent by Mira to go help Ethan, Takanashi, Sina, Kurai, Tristan and Fate after realizing that they were taking far too long on their job.

Of course, there was the problem that Fate and Tristan had been separated from their group. They had no way to find them and they all barely knew what even caused them to get separated in the first place, but they all refused to leave without the pair of Exceeds.

As they had been searching, Akina continuously complained about having to come and save them, although they all knew that she didn't really mind. Both of Destiny's ears twitched when he heard something, even if it was fairly quiet.

He noticed something from the corner of his eye and turned, seeing that there was water leaking down the wall. He reached out and gently ran his fingers across a part of it, confirming that it was actually water, before sighing in annoyance.

If there was water, they could be flooded at any minute and that would screw them over in many different ways. There was already the high possibility that the tunnels could all collapse, trapping them in at the least.

Destiny just wanted to see Fate alive and healthy, and to know that Micah was okay as well. He had no doubt that Tristan would take care of her, but that didn't stop him from worrying because something could easily happen to the pair of Exceeds. It was funny how she could just appear and all of the sudden, she's more important than his own life. It made him sigh from time to time.

"Are you okay?"

Destiny jumped when Cass placed one of her hands on his right shoulder. He turned to her and saw the worried look on her face, making him nod in reply before looking down at the ground.

"It reminds me of the dragon fight..." Destiny mumbled, making Cass nod in understanding.

"I'll tell you as many times as I need to. Every time you and she are apart, you'll find your way back to each other. We'll find Fate _**and**_ Tristan, and they'll both be okay." Cass reassured him. Destiny nodded.

"I just have this weird feeling that something's gonna happen... like, everything's gonna change real quick and soon."

Cass frowned and sighed, resting her forehead against her twin brother shoulder as she gripped onto his shirt. Destiny wrapped his arms around Cass and rested his head against hers, relaxing a bit.

"You both have this connection; you know... even if you're both on different sides of the world and you turned around, you'd know that you're facing each other." Cass stated.

"It's more like I'd find some way to communicate with her and then complain until we can see each other." Destiny scoffed, making Cass laugh and shake her head.

"Now isn't that true. You can do that when she pushes you off the bed for more room, when you're both old and married."

Destiny smiled as he chuckled, thinking about how comforting it would be to know he could spend the rest of his life with Fate. The thought of them being married and living together made him feel warm, even if they didn't have kids. Abygale and Micah would be enough for them, which he knew.

'It might take awhile until we're both ready to be truly committed, to be honest...'


	35. I-I think,,,

**A/N: Don't mind my timeline within the next little while... XD**

* * *

"You're not mad, are you?"

"I'm not mad... I'm just a little annoyed."

Fate smiled at Tristan's reply to her question before resting her head on his shoulder, sighing in content. He was carrying her on his back because she had tripped, falling and twisting her ankle. The biggest things didn't even touch her, yet the smallest things damaged her a good amount.

"Don't think I enjoy carrying you around. In fact, it's fairly annoying!" Tristan stated, getting a nod of understanding. "But don't you dare forget that I could just drop you and leave you as well!"

Fate nodded again, feeling the heat radiating off of Tristan's face. He was obviously flustered over having her flush against his back, having her arms wrapped around his neck, and having to hold both of her upper legs so she didn't fall. Not to mention how she was slightly breathing on the side of his neck, which made him shiver from time to time.

Every so often, Tristan would glance over his shoulder at Asher and always found that the red Exceed basically looked like a zombie. He looked dehydrated and exhausted, as well as like he hadn't eaten in forever. Tristan always told himself that he was just exaggerating because it was most likely the effects of the things that had happened. He didn't even know why he cared, but he did and it kind of annoyed him.

Tristan snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that Fate's breathing had levelled out, meaning that she had fallen asleep. As long as she was okay, so was he, so he decided to just continue walking.

Fate's levelled breathing made him think of what was actually going on with her. He hadn't been able to keep his mind off of the fact that she was pregnant and from the look in her eyes when he had asked her, it was obviously not the child of someone that she trusted and the pregnancy had been kept as a secret from nearly everyone.

It wasn't that he felt betrayed or anything because she hadn't told him that she was pregnant during their catch-up talks while babysitting Asuka; he was just afraid that she could've been hiding even bigger and partially more important things from him. He just didn't want to find out when it was already too late.

'Like many other times...' Tristan thought as he sighed.

* * *

Akuma would be lying if she said that she was only a little worried about the others, especially Fate. She couldn't settle on the fact that her daughter had gone off on a job with a small group, no matter how easy of a job it was.

'Oh no, forgive my screw-up. My _**pregnant**_ daughter, her best friend, her partner and 3 more _**kids**_.' Akuma thought, sighing.

A hand suddenly rested on her shoulder and she jumped, nearly screaming as she turned around. She was relieved to see that it was Tenshi and no one else because she knew that he felt the same way that she did. They didn't even need to talk before they wrapped each other into a comforting hug, taking turns in whispering reassurance. It wasn't much, but it was enough for them to relax despite the situation.

"I swear that if they don't get back soon, Rory and Olivia are going to head after them."

Akuma giggled at her husband's statement. It was true and she knew that, but the fact that he specifically named Rory and Olivia was what made her giggle. If the group didn't come back soon, everyone would send out another group after the first one and it would continuously repeat until everyone was brought back to Magnolia safe and sound. Or a little injured, depending on what happened and what would happen.

"In any case, we should have faith that Fate and the others will be okay." Akuma sighed, getting a nod in reply.

* * *

Tristan couldn't blame Asher for needing to stop and rest. He himself had been carrying Fate for what felt like hours and was happy to put her down, and she was happy to get out of the uncomfortable position she was in so she wouldn't fall off of Tristan.

They all sat around, hoping that nothing bad would happen so they could just take a breather, and so Tristan could hopefully think of some sort of way to get out other than just walking. That's when Fate started to take slow, quiet, deep breaths while clutching at her stomach, immediately catching Tristan's attention.

"Are you okay?" Tristan asked, alerting Asher to the situation. Fate nodded.

"Micah's just kicking more than usual... it almost feels like there's 2 of him..." Fate replied. Tristan nodded in understanding.

Fate noticed Asher biting his bottom lip as he played with his jacket sleeves.

"I'm pregnant, if you need me to confirm." Fate sighed.

"Yah, I figured it out when I helped Tristan save you awhile back..." Asher mumbled loud enough for her to hear, making Fate smile a bit.

"What's his name?" Tristan asked out of nowhere.

"Full or...?" Fate trailed off.

"His full name, of course... I want to know how smart you still are."

Fate smiled and shook her head.

"Michael Shinko Allyn Seo." Fate replied, making Tristan look and feel confused.

"Where did you come up with that?" Tristan asked.

"I don't know... it just kind of came to me."

Tristan shrugged it off and Fate just shook her head at him. The trio stayed like that for awhile before Fate felt a sudden sharp pain wash over her. It was accompanied by the feeling of something wet running down her legs and she felt her breath shortening as the pain increased drastically.

"Tr-Tristan..." Fate choked out, wincing a bit.

"Yah...?" Tristan asked, peering down the tunnel in front of them.

Fate let out a shaky breath, trying to control the pain, but it was becoming too much for her to handle. She knew that this mission would take an unexpected turn, but she didn't think that the turn would be so big.

"I... I-I think... I think my water br-broke..."

2 pairs of eyes were instantly on her and Tristan was by her side within seconds. However, Fate couldn't hold back a piercing scream as even more pain flowed through her body, gripping onto Tristan's shirt since it was one of the closest things to her. The pain came in giant waves like tomorrow wouldn't even exist and Fate couldn't feel brave for shit.

"Tr-Tristan, please d-do something! Anything, i-it _**REALLY**_ hurts!" Fate yelled, tears falling out of her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, nearly in rivers. Tristan seemed to still be processing it all and Fate screamed again. " _ **TRISTAN, IT HURTS!**_ "

Tristan registered the situation and began to panic.

"Oh my god... oh my god, what do I do!?" Tristan asked, but Fate had been screaming when he asked her, so she didn't him.

Asher's heart stopped when Tristan looked at him with a pleading look, asking him to tell him something. Anything, anything at all, and he couldn't think straight. When Tristan yelled at him, he took a deep breath and thought of whatever he could within the next couple of seconds.

"Your group, your friends, your whatever—they're here, right!?" Asher asked, getting a nod in reply. "We _**have**_ to find them and then we'll go from there!"

"Okay, but here's the problem—Fate probably won't last!" Tristan reminded.

"She might make it if we can slow her blood rate!"

"Slowing it won't work, that much I know!"

"Then what about fucking stopping it, Tristan?!"

They were silent for a moment before Asher thought of something.

"A vampire, Tristan, it's that easy!" Asher declared, making Tristan look a little angry.

"What about a fucking vampire...?" Tristan asked.

"Vampire's still carry blood in their veins and system. The blood rate, however..."

Tristan seemed to clue in, but he shook his head.

"Are you suggesting that we should turn my best friend into a blood-sucking creature?" Tristan asked.

"I'm not too happy about it either, but there's not much more we can do unless you think that the 2 of us can deliver this child safely, and to make sure that it's healthy." Asher replied.

Tristan shut up pretty quickly before sighing.

"2 fucking questions, Jered Asher..." Tristan sighed. "What's the catch and where do we find a vampire?"

"It might not only affect her, but it might affect her son." Asher replied. "And you have a good enough vampire right in front of you."

Tristan's eyes widened as he continued to look at Asher.

"Callias passed on more than he thought he did."

Tristan bit his lip, looking down at Fate. She already looked exhausted, and he knew that his choices had been chopped down and thrown away, so he nodded.

"Just do it and get it over and done with..."


	36. Questions and Answers?

**A/N: I'm sorry for the bit of a timey skippy... I've been really stuck and starting here really works better than going through a lot more extras. I tried, but all of it just didn't come out right for me... I'm sorry. Please enjoy all that I can manage to give you.**

* * *

 _"Why don't you go outside and play?"_

 _Fate didn't know what was going on. A moment ago, she had been with Tristan and Asher... but now she was standing in her old home. Specifically in her living room, all while she watched her younger self read a book on the couch while her Mom washed some dishes in the kitchen. Both rooms were basically connected, so conversation was always easy between them._

 _"Because all of the kids don't like me... I don't want to play another game of ""Tag"". They all secretly call it "Hit the Saph"." Ame replied._

 _Akuma turned off the running sink water and dried her hands with a nearby towel before walking over to a window, pulling open one half of the curtain in order to check the weather._

 _"It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing... flowers are blooming..." Akuma trailed off._

 _ **"**_ _ **On days like these, kids like you…"**_

 _Fate's eyes widened as she instinctively turned to face the owner of the voice, the scene in front of her fading away as she turned. Once her eyes caught sight of the voice's owner, they never strayed away from him and when she was fully facing him, he finished his sentence._

 _ **"… Should be burning in Hell."**_

 _"Callias…" Fate muttered._

 _The dark goldenrod yellow Exceed lifted his eyes from the ground and shivers ran all throughout Fate's body as a pair of orange eyes pierced into her own. His eyes and the smirk that spread over his lips made her more uneasy than not knowing what was going on, and there were only2 reasons. One of them was that he reminded her exactly of Jackson._

 _"You just mutter my name? Is that how you greet an old friend,_ _ **Fate**_ _?" Callias asked._

 _Her name sounded like poison when it came out of his mouth and it almost made her feel like she was drowning in an ocean due to jumping in with more than a thousand heavy weights tied to her body. He was calling her an old friend, in which she kind of was… but the point was that he had been one of the many reasons why she had slowly broken into pieces and changed to how she was._

 _"You expect us to be friends after everything you've done to me?" Fate asked. "Unless you're a figment of my imagination."_

 _Callias shrugged._

 _"I could be, but that's up to you."_

 _Fate growled at the familiar tingling feeling in her body, which aimed towards Callias._

 _"Stop trying to control my body, Minnet. It's not gonna work." Fate growled._

 _As a sudden shiver went up her spine, Fate swallowed hard from his growing smirk and tried to remember what happened last before she ended up wherever she was with Callias._

 _"If you have questions, then you should just ask." Callias stated, making Fate sigh at the realization that he had all of the answers that she needed. He probably wasn't willing to share, but she had to try._

 _"Where are we?" Fate asked, starting the conversation._

 _"We're inside your head. I'm more skilled with my magic than you may think." Callias replied._

 _"Jerk…_

 _"Bitch…"_

 _Fate almost smiled at the inside joke, but she was far too anxious to feel any happiness._

 _"I'm not dead, right?" Fate asked nervously._

 _"Oh, you're not even close. You're just a little… out of it." Callias replied. Fate sighed in relief before getting back on track._

 _"What did you do with Ellena Asher, Jered Asher's little sister?" Fate asked. She felt that it was only right to find out about Ellena. 'For… Jered, since he saved my life.'_

 _"She's fine. I may have taken over that trusting little boy for longer than I thought I would, but I took care of his sister as was promised. We're low on medication, however, so I can't say how long I can go without breaking that promise."_

 _Callias' tone told her that he was telling the truth, which relieved her of some anxiousness as she continued._

 _"Why did you do those horrible things to me? Don't judge me for wanting to know." Fate said._

 _"Well, which horrible thing do you want to start with?" Callias asked. He was giving her a choice, how wonderful._

 _"How about we start with Tenroujima? You took over Aaron's mind, doubling over with your magic, and I wouldn't doubt that you nearly killed me. You also hurt Destiny and by the way, Aaron feels like shit everyday for it."_

 _It was true. Sometimes Aaron would end up at Fate's side in the middle of the night because he was scared to death that something would happen to her and he wanted to protect her. At other times, Aaron couldn't be within 5 or 10 feet of her without her reassurance that it was okay. It always made her feel horrible and angry._

 _"He kept saying that he wanted to see you, so I just granted his wish in a way that he'd never forget. Also, about that green Exceed… do you love him?"_

 _Fate was caught off guard by Callias' question._

 _"What do you mean?" Fate asked._

 _"Do you love him?" Callias asked again._

 _"With everything I have to give… but I'M the one asking questions, Minnet."_

 _"Continue, Konno."_

 _Fate sighed heavily, but quietly._

 _"We fought all the way back in Erith. You happened to be controlling Jered Asher's body, but it was still you. I don't know what the point is in asking, but why?" Fate asked._

 _"I just wanted to see what you would do and I wanted to keep you and Jackson separated after what he did to you. I failed either way, but whatever." Callias replied._

 _"Thank you, I guess… but I have a bigger question for you now. Those 2 other times that you invaded my mind, the nightmares… You were no better than Jackson. You sexually harassed me in both of them."_

 _Callias suddenly teleported from his spot to the spot in front of Fate, scaring her because he had caught her off guard. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into him and blocking any ways for her to run away from him. Not that she would get far._

 _Fate's breath hitched as Callias grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him. She could feel his breath mixing with hers when she started to take deep breaths, trying to calm her down._

 _"I've always_ _ **admired**_ _you ever since we were little. You've always been kind and I've always that you were absolutely… ravishing."_

 _Callias' voice sounded far too husky for Fate's comfort zone and she wanted him to let her go and leave her alone. She couldn't even remember what happened last and she only knew that it was important, for her at least._

 _"I'm not interested." Fate stated, trying not to let her legs give out under the weight of Callias' eyes._

 _"I didn't ask if you were."_

 _A pair of lips were suddenly on hers, making her lean as far away as she could. She couldn't get very far and she started pushing on Callias' chest to get away from him, but he only held her tighter. His hand pushed on her jaw harder until she couldn't keep her mouth closed any longer, unwillingly granting his tongue access._

 _Fate didn't hesitate to bite Callias' tongue, accidentally biting hard enough to make it bleed, and pushed him to try and get away. He wiped the blood that was hanging off of his bottom lip before holding her tighter; making sure that her pushing would get her nowhere._

 _Fate suddenly felt something hit her, although nothing did. Her whole body heated up and her veins went so cold that they felt like fire. Her lungs felt heavy and it was hard for her to think with the feeling of lacking air._

 _"How does it feel…?"_

 _When did Callias get so close, especially close enough to whisper into her ear?_

 _"Being a vampire has its downfalls, doesn't it?"_

 _Fate nearly fell to her knees. What had he told her that she was? Wasn't Tanner…?_

 _Callias was suddenly kissing her again and she was about to push away once more, but once a certain metallic-tasting liquid touched her tongue, she found herself kissing him back for more of it. Even if the metallic taste was horrible, she found it nearly sweet and unusually addicting. However, once she realized what she was doing, she pushed Callias away from her and took a couple of steps back as she gasped for air._

 _"Cravings are harder to control as a vampire." Callias stated, watching as Fate went pale with the realization that she had indeed been turned into a vampire._

 _"What's going on in the real world!?" Fate asked, her voice full of panic._

 _Callias smirked and held up one of his hands, pausing for a moment before snapping his fingers. Nothing happened for a couple of seconds, but Fate suddenly felt a searing pain in her stomach and it was bad enough to send Fate straight to the ground._

 _Fate was lying on her right side with her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach as she screamed and cried over the unbearable pain she was feeling. It stopped within an instant and Fate nearly threw up from the sudden inhale of air she had taken by accident when the pain stopped._

 _"You went into labor down in the tunnel with Tristan and Jered by your side. You passed out from the pain and instant exhaustion, and because Jered turned you into a vampire. The reason he did it was so you would make it back to the guild after the 2 boys found the rest of your group. That pain was from the emergency c-section that Mirajane pulled last-minute. You've been in a coma for a week and a half or so since then." Callias explained. "You're in for a surprise when you wake up, but nonetheless, congratulations. It's about time you wake up, no?"_


	37. More Than Micah

The only sounds that floated into Fate's ears were the obnoxious beeping of a heart monitor. Her body had no intention of moving, her muscles pulsing in warning to remind her of sleep. She kept her eyes closed as a hand brushed against hers before wrapping itself around it. A gentle squeeze grasped at Fate's heart in a warmth that told her everything was going to be okay and a pair of lips pressed against her forehead.

She took a deep breath and the moment the soft, drowsy scent of warm milk and honey reached her, she knew that it was Destiny. She laid her head on top of his, which was resting on her shoulder, and kissed his forehead as she enjoyed the soft tickle of his fur against her neck.

Destiny's head snapped up almost instantly before he smiled softly, sitting up straight. Fate could barely feel anything from her waist down and when she shifted to try and face Destiny, a familiar pain shot across her stomach. It was followed by a recently felt urge as she inhaled sharply, trying to subdue the pain.

She felt Destiny caressing her cheeks and rubbing the back of her hand in comfort as he mumbled to her, telling her to relax and that she was safe in the guild's infirmary. It made her remember what Callias said and she slowly opened her eyes, instantly meeting the worried eyes of Destiny, even if his figure was blurry beyond belief for her.

When Fate's eyes focused, her mind soon followed and she suddenly had a thousand questions, but she paced herself.

"How am I at the guild with everything that happened?" Fate asked softly, her voice hoarse even with the volume she was talking at.

"Our groups found each other and Akina used a Magic Item that Mira gave to her. She, Namine, Cass and I were sent out to find out what happened to you and your group since you were taking longer than you should've been." Destiny explained. His voice was just a soft as hers had been.

"Jered and Tristan... where are they?"

Destiny went quiet for a moment, worrying her.

" _ **Jered**_ is speaking with the Master right now and Tristan is explaining everything to everyone else. Don't be surprised if no one believes what either of them decides to say." Destiny replied.

"Yah, I know... As long as he's not dead, I'd say that things are sort of going right for now." Fate sighed. Destiny sighed straight after.

"Fate..." Destiny took a deep breath. "You went into labour and... in order for you to make it back to the guild, Tristan let—"

"He let Jered turn me into a vampire, I know. You smell better than usual."

Destiny let out a low chuckle as he shook his head.

"Are you okay with it?" Destiny asked anxiously. Fate nodded.

"There's not much of a difference in my life..." Fate replied.

She suddenly realized that there really was a huge difference in her life coming along and she instantly sat up, ignoring the pain in abdomen. Destiny tried to push her down, but she only grabbed his shirt roughly.

"What happened to Micah, is he okay!?" Fate asked, slightly shaking Destiny.

"Of course he is! I wouldn't ever let anything happen to him. Ethan is taking care of Micah's egg right now, I promise." Destiny replied.

Fate sighed in relief as she fell against him, a huge weight taken off of her shoulders. Destiny wrapped his arms around her in order to hold her up and keep her from falling, sighing softly.

"But..." Destiny mumbled, trailing off. Fate pulled away slightly, looking up at him in worry.

"What happened...?" Fate asked nervously, the worry in her eyes evident. Destiny took a deep breath and exhaled softly.

"There are 2 things that I need to tell you because if I don't, you'll get really caught off guard. They both have something to do with Micah."

Fate's breath nearly hitched, but she nodded her head nonetheless and waited for what was going to be said, even if Destiny seemed unsure of telling her.

"It's not only Micah."

Fate didn't know what to think or feel since the small sentence had many meanings.

"What do you mean...?" Fate asked softly, honestly confused. Destiny took another deep breath.

"You were pregnant with a pair of fraternal twins." Destiny replied, the tone of his voice very low.

Destiny could almost feel Fate's heart dropping from how her shoulders tensed for a moment and then just fell, becoming frozen at the spot that they were in. He suddenly felt her shake a little and held her tighter as he looked down at her, feeling horrible when he realized that she was crying. He was about to drop the whole subject when he heard her laugh through her tears.

"Are you okay...?" Destiny asked softly, gaining a nod in reply.

"It's just funny to me... fraternal twins seem to be common in this guild." Fate replied, smiling up at him. Destiny smiled back, partially in relief that she was okay, and watched as she rubbed at her eyes, wiping away her tears. "What's the 2nd thing?"

Destiny sighed.

"It's pretty obvious. Since you were turned into a vampire while you were still pregnant, the kids got turned into vampires as well..." Destiny replied, making Fate nod in understanding. "Oh, and uh... there's one more thing about your little girl..."

"What is it?" Fate asked, resting her head on Destiny's shoulder. She was just tired and wanted to rest for a little while longer.

"She's a mix of 3 different things... an Exceed, a Vampire and a Demon..."

"Figures..." Fate sighed.

Everything was silent for a moment.

"What are you going to name her?" Destiny asked out of nowhere, catching Fate off-guard.

"I-I don't know..." Fate replied, suddenly thinking of every single girl name that she could, but none of them seemed to fit alongside Micah's. She smiled at a sudden thought. "Why don't you think of a name?"

Destiny seemed to jump at the offer, instantly shaking his head.

"I'd choose the most horrible and weird name." Destiny stated.

"Can't be as bad as some of the names I've heard." Fate laughed, Destiny laughing soon after.

Fate hadn't thought of having twins, especially since Mira told her that she'd have a boy. It made sense from how much both of the kids had kicked, even though she had just thought that it was Micah. She wanted the name to start with an M like Micah's, but couldn't think of anything because she wanted it to start with an M.

'God, why are names so confusing?' Fate thought, sighing.

"Oh... and there's one more important thing that I kind of have to tell you. It's off-subject, but..." Destiny trailed off.

"What's going on?" Fate asked, knowing that something was wrong from the tone of his voice.

"Jered told all of us... because he didn't die at the hands of someone named Callias, the Seekers of Nothing will probably track him down. Guess what Tristan did? He said that because Jered just wanted to save his little sister that he'd get together a group to help him get her back."

Fate let the information sink in, sighing at Tristan's offer. He just went off from the top of his head like he always did, he really hadn't changed over the last 14 years.

"So basically, we're going to storm straight into a war with the Seekers of Nothing if we're not careful." Fate sighed.

"More like if we're not _**humble**_." Destiny corrected with his own sigh.

Fate shook her head at the correction, knowing that it was true and absolutely stupid. She wasn't in the mood for going straight into the war, especially since she had a pair of twins to take care of. It brought her back to thinking of a name and she instantly thought of her Grandmother's middle name, making her smile. Just twisting it around and adding a new last name... it felt nearly perfect.

"Marceline..." Fate mumbled, catching Destiny's attention.

"Huh...?" Destiny asked softly.

"Marceline Jade Konno Seo, Marcy for short. Is that a good girl name?"

Destiny took a moment and then smiled.

"That's sounds perfect."


	38. Daughter of Thieves

"Are we seriously going to plan a war?"

Destiny thought Ruri's question through as he sighed, nodding soon after. His sigh was followed by her own before he smiled at her softly in reassurance.

"We're Fairy Tail; we'll win no matter what the cost of winning is. We always do." Destiny reassured her. "And thank you for bringing Micah and Marcy's egg in for when Fate wakes up again."

Ruri shook her head and smiled at him before looking down at his lap, which the currently sleeping Fate was using as a pillow. Her smile suddenly faded and she sighed, looking down at the bed. Destiny frowned.

"What's wrong?" Destiny asked.

Ruri's shoulders seemed to tense before they dropped in defeat. She couldn't lie to anyone.

"Only Rory knows, so you can't tell anyone, okay?" Ruri asked. Destiny nodded and Ruri sighed once again. "I don't actually come from Seikatsu like Rory. I didn't grow up there. In fact, I only spent a couple of months there before the village was burned down and we lost Rory's older sister, Ava, who was the previous Sapphire. It was a little after that that we came across the group and became partners with Adam and Cathy. I actually come from Wycliffe."

"The thieves' village...?" Destiny asked.

If there was anything he learned while being a prince hauled up in a castle, it was that the neighbouring villages full of thieves always caused trouble. They would steal from them a lot, but Ruri didn't seem like she could hurt a soul. That was when he remembered the Tenroujima fight against Kurai and how Ruri matched his power, and he was a God-Slayer.

"You don't _**seem**_ like a thief..." Destiny mumbled.

"Yah, I know... it's because I don't really see the point in stealing anything from anyone. We go through so much already; we don't need anything else on our shoulders. I used to think that some people deserved to be stolen from, but that was before I lost my family and my both the villages that I lived in were burned to the ground. I basically lost my points of living... if it wasn't for Rory, Cathy and Fairy Tail, I don't think I would've lasted this long..." Ruri explained.

"Why are you telling me this...?"

Ruri shrugged and it made Destiny frown even more.

"Hey..." Ruri muttered, catching his attention.

"What is it?" Destiny asked.

"Tristan and I are good friends, we've talked a lot and he went on a job with Cathy and I once, so if he says something, then I'll believe it no matter how stupid it seems to me, but... What do you think of Jered?"

Destiny almost groaned, but he didn't. He didn't know what to think of the certain red Exceed with dark brown eyes and he knew that a lot of his guildmate's would be especially wary of him.

"I don't know and that's the truth." Destiny sighed in annoyance, making Ruri giggle a bit before she sighed herself.

"It's not only Tristan that's making me believe it... I knew someone named Callias Minnet a long time ago when I was still a thief..." Ruri mumbled, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"You did...?"

"Yah... he was a sweet little boy, though... Well, sort of..."

" _ **Sort of...**_?"

Ruri decided to explain, even if it might not have been a good idea to.

"Just... don't freak out about anything, okay?"

* * *

 _The forest was always dull and often quiet, with the exception of the wind flowing through the leaves. Suddenly, footsteps thudded on the hard dirt and a stick broke underneath someone's foot. The loud sounds of laughter broke through the branches as some young Exceeds ran between the trees: 3 boys and a girl. The girl was running the fastest, glancing over her shoulder at the boys every now and then._

 _"Hurry up, you slowpokes! We'll get caught if you don't!" The girl yelled in a bit of a joking tone._

 _"Hey, respect your elders!" The tallest Exceed yelled, his tone also in a joking way._

 _The girl laughed, jumping over a root._

 _"I-I think we're far enough!" The smallest boy yelled, causing all of them to stop._

 _They all laughed and panted, catching their breaths as they looked around, just in case._

 _"Holy shit, wait until Mom and Dad hear about that." The tall Exceed laughed._

 _"Shut up, Ezekiel! If Mom and Dad find out, we'll never hear the end of it." The Exceed that was nearly the same height as the girl sighed._

 _"Calm down, Caleb. Live a little, bro!" Ezekiel laughed._

 _"None of us will live if Mom and Dad find out!"_

 _"Please calm down! You're acting like we killed someone!" The smallest Exceed pleaded._

 _"Dakota's right, calm down. You guys are acting like teenage daughters." The girl joked._

 _"You keep saying that today, Ruri. Yet, this was your idea." Caleb said._

 _"Don't be so sour towards our sister, Caleb. You agreed to it." Ezekiel reminded him._

 _"Shut your face, Zeke."_

 _Zeke put a hand up to the side of his head and then turned it, like he was closing a door. Ruri shook her head with a smile on her face._

 _"Let's get home. We're all going on a job with some others tonight, remember? It's a big one." Ruri reminded them, starting to walk before her 3 brothers followed her._

 _"There better be a prize..." Caleb grumbled. Zeke threw up his hands dramatically._

 _"Love and prosperity!" He yelled jokingly._

 _"I wonder... since they're royals, will they have money and treasure?" Dakota asked._

 _"They always do, Dakota, no matter what kind of "royals" they may be." Ruri replied._

 _Dakota smiled up at her as she smiled down, grabbing and holding her hand as he started to skip along._

* * *

 _"I've always wanted to fight pirates! What about you, my lovely siblings!?" Zeke asked._

 _The 4 Shiro siblings were back-to-back, fighting off person after person._

 _"Who would've thought that "royals" would traffic Humans and Exceeds!? What idiots!" Caleb yelled, fending off another one._

 _"Ruri-nee, I'm scared!" Dakota yelled over the sound of all of the others fighting. "Where are Mom and Dad!?"_

 _"We can worry about that later! Cut back on the jokes, remarks and worries for right now! Our job is to find the captives and release them! We're supposed to be on the defensive, not the offensive!" Ruri reminded._

 _"Yah, yah, we got it! Can you just calm down, Ru!? We're doing our best!" Caleb yelled._

 _Ruri groaned, reaching into her pocket._

 _"I'll take care of it!" She yelled._

 _Ruri held up a gold and silver key that was decorated with the colors of sapphire blue, ruby red and emerald green, and she held it as high as she could._

" _ **私は、**_ _ **thee**_ _ **にウィクリフの神を呼びます！私はエメラルドと私自身の力で午前、と私の仲間の力は、私はあなたが私に力を与えることを要求します！戦うために私に意志を貸します**_ _!"_

 _Ruri brought the key down in front of her._

 _"_ _私の魂に反映！私の心に反映！私の意志を反映！あなたが合う形で私の本当の自分を引き出します！この時に私を助けて_ _!"_

 _The key bursted into a bright light within Ruri's hand, burning her, but she didn't back down and drop it._

 _"_ _ **SHIRO**_ _!" Ruri yelled, putting the key's magic into use._

* * *

 _"Everyone, please stay calm! The situation is under control and we'll all be leaving soon!" Ruri promised, looking over the group of captives._

" _What happened to my wife!?"  
"Where are my children!?"  
"What about our parents!?"  
"Forget that! What the hell happened to our town, you thief!?"_

 _Ruri ignored the questions and mostly the rude comments, sighing. Zeke, Caleb and Dakota were out there fighting and she was stuck on defense._

 _"Excuse me, ma'am...?"_

 _Ruri looked down at the owner of the tiny voice, who was a little boy. An Exceed like her, as well._

 _"Yes...?" Ruri asked cautiously._

 _The little boy suddenly started crying, making her feel absolutely horrible. She kneeled down to his height, trying to use her calming magic to calm him down._

 _"Hey, come on... What's wrong?" Ruri asked._

 _"I'm scared! We don't have a home to return to, do we!? Our families are gone, aren't they!?" He asked. Ruri shook her head._

 _"That's not true. They'll always be in your heart."_

 _Ruri grabbed her pocket knife, handing it to the small boy._

 _"Protect yourself for right now, okay?" Ruri asked. He nodded and took the small pocket knife. "What's your name, kiddo?_

 _"C-Callias... Callias Dain Minnet..._

* * *

 _A searing pain ran through Ruri's body as she hit the wall, having been thrown against it by one of the Exceed's in charge of the ship. What she didn't expect was for Callias to run at him, knocking him to the ground and stabbing him. Callias didn't stop until the other Exceed no longer moved and the little boy was covered in his blood._

* * *

Destiny understood what Ruri meant by sort of and he was suddenly afraid of who they were up against.

"How are we supposed to win against that? He didn't even know it and he killed someone... Jered was controlled by him for how many years again? How did he survive...?" Destiny asked, though he wasn't really asking anyone.

Destiny admitted that he believed in Jered's story now... but he didn't believe in Fairy Tail's ability to defeat their enemy this time...


	39. That Song

_**Apocalyptic  
Blood red lipstick**_ _  
Blood red painted lips pulled into a dark smile._

 _ **Bite your tongue  
Cause I'm not listening**_ _  
"Touch me again and I will break your sorry fucking neck."_

 _ **Try to convince me  
But I'm resisting  
This poisoned point of view**_ _  
"Give it up already! It's each to their own opinion! My opinion is that you're on the wrong side,_ _-_ _!"_

 _ **I hear the voices say you're never gonna make it  
And you're not strong enough to cut through all the tension  
These words keep rattling my soul  
But I know**_ _  
A knife sliced through the air as a gunshot rung out loud and clear, tears flying into the air._

 _ **At the end of the world  
When the sun can't see the city**_ _  
The sun disappeared behind the Kardia Cathedral and didn't return from out behind it._

 _ **At the end of the world  
If your arms are wrapped around me  
I feel invincible, I'll overcome it all**_ _  
A pair of arms stopped someone from running away, holding them close as darkness stained the sky._

 _ **Even when the sky is falling  
As long as you are with me  
At the end of the world  
At the end of the world**_ _  
"I just need you with me... please..."_

 _ **Animalistic, human sickness  
Can't pretend I am not affected  
Fear comes crawling  
Worry is calling  
But our love drowns out the sound**_ _  
"I love you. Keep that in mind for the end of this war."_

 _ **I hear the voices say you're never gonna make it  
And you're not strong enough to cut through all the tension  
These words keep rattling my soul  
But I know**_ _  
"I can do it if you just let me!"_

 _ **At the end of the world  
When the sun can't see the city  
At the end of the world  
If your arms are wrapped around me  
I feel invincible, I'll overcome it all  
Even when the sky is falling  
As long as you are with me  
At the end of the world  
At the end of the world**_ _  
"_ _-_ _, don't do it!"  
"Please be careful!"_

 _ **Never leave me  
Never leave me  
Say you're never gonna leave**_ _  
"I'll always be with you..."  
"No, please... don't make me do this..."_

 _ **At the end of the world  
When the sun can't see the city  
At the end of the world  
If your arms are wrapped around me  
I feel invincible, I'll overcome it all  
Even when the sky is falling  
As long as you are with me  
At the end of the world  
At the end of the world  
At the end of the world  
At the end of the world**_

* * *

Fate wasn't sure exactly what her weird dream had been about, but it was all blurry and she had even missed some parts of it. When she had awoken, Destiny had been there for her with a worried look. She had talked to him about it and he listened carefully to every little detail before assuring her that it was just a dream. He told her that it could just be her mind telling her to calm down because she's anxious about being a mother, in which he changed the subject to Micah and Marcy's egg.

Fate only had to look at their egg to feel calm and to clear her mind. Sure, she had a lot of worries, but she knew that they would be taken care of when the time came around. There had been so much going on that she didn't have time to relax, so when she was able to rest against Destiny and just watch over her children's egg, she was content.

She didn't want to go back to sleep, even if she needed the rest. She just felt uncomfortable sleeping in the middle of what was going to end up being a war. She knew it would be, but she just couldn't seem to dwell on the fact for too long out of some kind of emotion. She didn't know what it was. Fear, anger, worry, regret, guilt, upset... None of them seemed to add up to what she was feeling. Her emotional health didn't seem too stable, but it wasn't unstable to the point of her own insanity.

Fate's face heated up when she felt a pair of lips against her forehead and she relaxed again before she looked up, her eyes meeting the eyes of Destiny. He looked a little worried despite being obviously content.

"Are you okay?" Destiny asked softly. Fate smiled a little bit and nodded.

"Yah, I'm just thinking..." Fate replied.

"If it's about Micah and Marcy, and about everything else, it doesn't matter what happens as long as we all stay as a family in the end, right?"

Spot on, every time. That's what was so great about Destiny, to her at least. It didn't matter who or what, he always knew if something was wrong and almost always knew what the person was acting weird, or whatever, over.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Fate asked softly, resting against him with a small sigh.

Destiny smiled and rested his head against hers, nodding because he knew that he had given her something to go back and dwell on, which would help her greatly if the time where she just would want to give up ever came around. He hadn't seen her break down yet, which he hoped was because the guild was keeping her on her feet, but if she needed him, then he would gladly be there. He knew that the same thing applied to everyone, though he didn't mind.

When Fate mumbled something, he pulled away a little and smiled upon realizing that she had fallen asleep. He didn't mind and decided to try and rest with her. She needed the rest; she was exhausted and wouldn't admit it.

* * *

 _Fate didn't understand how she ended up on a church bench, staring at a piano. Sitting at the piano was none other than her partner, Ethan. She was sitting on the top of the piano... but they were younger versions?_

 _Oh._

 _This was one of her memories._

 _"Fate, can you sing!? I can play the piano!" Ethan stated._

 _This was the first time the partners had bonded... Fate would always remember this. This church, this atmosphere... that song..._

 _"I-I don't think I'm very good... I might break your ears..." The little Fate mumbled._

 _"Oh, come on! It can't be as bad as mine!" Ethan joked._

 _Both Fate smiled, one happily and one sadly. Ethan sat down and paused before placing his hands down, starting to play a soft tune that paused after a couple of notes before continuing, being accompanied by the small, soft voice of the younger Fate from on top of the piano._

" _ **You know I'm really truly grateful to have met somebody just like you  
But life, it goes along, and from what I know, that means we'll have to part soon  
Now carrying these memories which pain me with a smile  
I walk away from yesterday to our fated goodbye...**_ _"_

 _There was another small pause, but with the younger Fate's voice instead of Ethan's piano playing._

" _ **If I were to go through life living just to take somebody else's place  
Then I would rather have been born as a pebble, living out my peaceful days  
Then maybe we could then avoid misunderstandings too  
And then maybe I would never have ever gotten to know you...**_ _"_

 _Another pause followed and the younger Fate's voice seemed to start to fade, sounding a little shaky._

" _ **All I ever wanted was for you to hear my thoughts, all my dreams and fears, just say them out  
Yet I go and lie to you and say I'd rather not, even though you never found me out  
I'm just so much weaker than you thought I ever was, than you ever would've wanted to believe  
So, why? Tell me. Tell me!**_ _"_

 _The younger Fate's voice rose again until she was singing at full volume._

" _ **With this endless pain in my heart, tearing me apart, but also you beside me  
Can't you see how happy I'd be? I'd smile and I'd say, "It was all for the best you see"  
As the world in front of me melts and fades away, I only have one thing to say:  
These miracles flooding me won't make it go away  
Because I can still hear your voice calling out my name.**_ _"_

 _There was a long pause and Ethan seemed to be thinking about the lyrics Fate was singing as he played the piano._

" _ **If you're just going to get lost and never find a place where you belong  
Deep in my heart I wished you'd let someone else do that, but I knew all along  
Pretending not to understand, we turned the other cheek  
I'm sure one day we'll laugh again as the cycle then repeats.**_ _"_

 _The younger Fate's voice had slightly faded again before it rose back, but it got a little shaky again._

" _ **All that I can do is beg as hard as I can, but the nightmares keep on haunting me  
Even though I've seen you leave a hundred thousand times, I can only watch you disappear  
I'm just so much weaker than you thought I ever was, than you ever would've wanted to believe  
So, why? Tell me. Tell me!**_ _"_

 _Tears were obviously clouding the younger Fate's eyes as she sung and her volume was changing so she didn't burst into tears._

" _ **For the nights I won't make it through, I spend beside you, while holding onto your hand  
Telling me I will and I can, I pray every night that days like this will never end  
Painting colours vivid and bright I see every time I go ahead and close my eyes  
Just what should I do so everything remains the same?  
Hey, is it alright if I keep calling out your name?**_

 _ **In the moment I was born, I wouldn't stop screaming  
Saying that I wanted to fade away and disappear  
Ever since the day I stopped, I had always been searching,  
For the one I'd someday meet,  
For the you that has to leave**_

 _ **With this endless pain in my heart, tearing me apart, but also you beside me  
Can't you see how happy I'd be? I'd smile and I'd say, "It was all for the best you see"  
As the world in front of me melts and fades away, I only have one thing to say:  
These miracles flooding me won't make it go away  
Because I can still hear your voice calling out my name**_ _…"_

 _Ethan stopped playing and he stood up, hugging his partner tightly as she cried. Both Fate's took a deep breath through their tears; almost calling out to everyone they loved, whether they were dead or still alive._

 _"_ _ **Hey, is it alright if I keep calling out your name…?**_ _"_


	40. It Was What She Wanted

The soft, warm tickle of fur brushing against one of Fate's arms confused her. It was gentle, as if not to wake her, and smooth, as if it had just been washed and brushed. She felt a really small and sudden breath against one of her ears before she heard Destiny's voice telling someone to stop softly, a giggle following as the bed shifted a bit. That small giggle me her feel warm and she was unsure of why.

"Dad, is she gonna be okay...?" A small voice asked softly.

"She's just sleeping, it's okay." Destiny replied in a soft whisper.

Fate suddenly had a feeling that she knew what was happening and even though she just wanted to get up instantly, she only slowly opened her eyes. She didn't know what to think when she felt the weight of the bed shift again, revealing Destiny and 2 smaller Exceeds... although; one of them didn't look too much like an Exceed. It didn't seem to matter as she made eye-contact with Destiny, getting a small nod and a soft look from him.

"She's like a zombie." The little girl stated. Her ears were located a little more to the side of her head and her fur was a pale light blue, but she barely had any. Her dark brown hair that was currently bunched up on the top of her head seemed to sway when she moved, and both her vampire and demon fangs showed when she talked. They were small and so was she, but that wouldn't last for long. The little enthusiastic ball of sunshine was Marceline.

"Marcy, don't say that!" The little boy sighed, although he seemed a little panicked. He wouldn't be mistaken for an Exceed or a vampire. His ears were on the top of his head and his gray fur was much more noticeable than his sisters' was.

They must've hatched awhile ago because Mira had offered to make them clothes, and the both already had a pair. Marcy had on a long-sleeved pink sweater shirt and a pair of purple jeans, while Micah had a long-sleeved black sweater-like shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The only other difference was that Micah had Destiny's flannel shirt, leaving the green Exceed in a dark gray t-shirt.

Fate's thoughts were cut off when Destiny's hand gently rested on her forehead, making her look up at him in confusion when he pulled his hand away.

"I was just making sure you didn't have a fever. You've been staring into open space for awhile." He stated.

Fate smiled a little bit and shook her head to tell him that she was okay before she slowly sat up, ignoring the sharp pinching pain in her abdomen as she did so. She took a quick look at the 2 kids before looking at Destiny again, who smiled softly and nodded, making her gaze return. The little ones staring up at her in what seemed like concern were her children and she couldn't get over that fact no matter how much she thought about it.

When Fate noticed their concern, she shook away her thoughts that she could go over later and smiled, trying to hold back the sudden wave of emotion she felt. Destiny seemed to notice because the next thing she knew was that he was holding her and she was able to cry on his shoulder. Even though she thought that Micah and Marcy wouldn't understand her tears, they seemed to cope with the fact and just did what their father figure had. They just hugged her and held her, and when she was ready to return the favor, they stayed there.

* * *

"You should be able to go home tonight. Also, you can take Micah and Marcy with you."

Fate had never been so relieved to hear news from Mira before in that moment and from Mira's giggle, she was sure that the S-Class Mage knew it. Although, her relief was replaced with a quick shock of fear when Micah fell into her lap and she heard Marcy giggle as Destiny sighed.

Oh, right. That was a thing. Micah couldn't seem to get the hang of walking without support and it was worrying, but apparently it was normal for Exceed twins. It's what happened to Destiny according to his own story about how he needed even the slightest bit of support, but Cass was fine on her own. He was able to make her smile by joking that it was probably due to be cramped inside an egg with his sister, who kicked his legs a lot.

Micah sat up properly and pouted at his twin sister.

"Marcy, that was mean and completely unfair! You can't just let go of me!" Micah stated, obviously upset. Marcy, however, seemed oblivious to the fact that she had upset her brother.

"Be happy to fell into Mom and not onto the ground." Marcy said.

 _ **Mom.**_ Every time either of them would call her that, her heart would flutter even more than that one time on the train when Destiny basically first called her beautiful. It almost felt like she was going to faint or have a panic attack, perhaps at the same time, but in a good sort of way.

"That doesn't make it fair!" Micah stated once again, obviously determined to win that argument him and his sister were having.

Fate wondered if Destiny had a headache because he stopped their argument right in that moment. Speaking of Destiny, Akina had brought him another one of his flannels at his request and in Fate's opinion, it was his best. It was black, dark green and dark blue with a little bit of white and it was sleeveless with a hood. He chose to keep it unbuttoned and it made it look a little better along with the rest of his outfit.

However, the green Exceed hadn't been as happy as he was earlier and it was immensely worrying her more than the reason Marcy had asked Mira to make her a pair of socks. The little girl didn't need them, but she asked for them anyway and Mira was more than happy to do so even if she was confused as to why the little girl wanted them.

It had been awhile since Fate was both confused and worried at the same time for different reasons, and she didn't like the feeling.

* * *

When Destiny got up in the middle of the night and went off by himself, Fate knew that something was wrong. She couldn't enjoy being home and sleeping in the same bed with Abygale, Micah and Marcy if he wasn't going to be with them. She sat up, being careful not to wake the 3 children, before punching Ethan's bed without hurting her hand.

The teenage boy turned around almost instantly, looking down at her. She pointed to the kids as she carefully stood up, ignoring the painful movement, and looked for his nod of agreement. When she got it, she nodded back to thank him for looking after them and headed for the door.

"Hey, partner!" Ethan whisper-yelled, catching her attention. "Take a jacket. It's cold out there and you're not going to protect yourself with juts a tank top and a pair of shorts."

Fate looked down at her outfit, forgetting that she had changed so she could be more comfortable when she slept. She looked back up and nodded as she grabbed her dark blue sweater and then left the room, thinking of where Destiny would go. The first thing that came to her mind was the roof and long behold, she was right.

There sat Destiny with his back turned to her and when she sat beside him, he obviously wasn't expecting company. He jumped and a small strangled-sounding scream escaped his throat before he relaxed again, looking down at the roof.

"Sorry... Did I scare you?" Fate asked, getting a nod in reply. It made her frown because he'd usually reply with his words. "Are you okay?"

Moments passed before Fate heard a shaky reply from him.

"No..."

It was her turn to comfort him as her arms wrapped around him and his head rested on her shoulder, her head resting on his. She could feel his tears dampening her sweater and she couldn't help but worry even more. Was it her? Was it Micah and Marcy?

"I'm dull, remember? I don't know what's wrong and I won't know unless you tell me." Fate said softly.

When Destiny's arms wrapped around her ever so slightly, it felt like the time he had witnessed her "death" all over again. It was so gentle, yet it felt like he was squeezing her. She could hear him sobbing and it scared her... it made her realize that she hadn't witnessed him cry yet. No matter what it seemed like, they barely spent any time together.

"I'm exhausted..." Destiny mumbled, catching her attention. "I'm so scared that I'm going to lose you or someone else. I keep thinking, "What if I lose everyone?" and it's horrifying to think about...  
I love Micah and Marcy, but I'm so afraid that they're either going to get themselves killed or live long enough to lose their sanity. They're basically growing up in the middle of a war and they're on a whole other side from where we have to be...  
I keep forgetting that Abygale and I aren't immortal and that you'll have to lose us at some point if we don't lose you first because everything has a weak point...  
Even though I have Cass and I want to have time to settle down with you in the future, I... I miss my family. I miss our stupid celebrations and get-together's, I miss breaking the rules with my siblings, I miss going to the bakery every Saturday, I miss my Mother's singing... I miss my Dad, I miss my Mom, I miss my brother Gale, I miss my sister Abby, I miss them and I hate it..."

By that point, Fate was silently crying while Destiny just completely sobbing on her shoulder. The moment he calmed down, she pulled away and made him look at her. Her hands rested on either side of his face as his grip on her waist slightly tightened, probably from the stable eye contact.

"You are _**NOT**_ going to lose me or anyone, you hear? To hell with this world if our guild is wiped out, I'm not willing to have anyone lose me or to lose anyone. Yes, death will and does happen. It's a part of life, no matter how much we despise it... You don't have to worry about Micah and Marcy. We'll be there for them. Stop forgetting about you and Abygale. Be proud of it. We get to spend "forever" together as a family and the both of you just get to go on your last adventure together." Fate explained. She rested her forehead against his. "We have to fight right now, but somewhere in our future together; we will be able to settle down as a family. I'll help you get through everything you need me to help you through, but I need you, too."

Destiny nodded, gently kissing her nose before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you..."

Fate nodded, hugging him back before feeling their tails brush against each other, making her blush. She could tell from Destiny's breathing that he was testing her boundaries a little bit and it made her smile as she intertwined her tail with his, blushing more at the new and weird feeling. She felt Destiny kiss the top of her head and she returned it by kissing his neck gently, but that made him pull away.

She could see the blush on his face and it made her blush even more before his lips found hers, his arms holding her close to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck in order to bring him closer as she returned the kiss, enjoying the sudden warmth that collided with the previously cold air.

She never took much notice, but Destiny's lips were soft and always had enough heat to make her feel alive again. He kissed her so gently and passionately that every time they kissed, she wondered if he could ever make her feel unsafe. Even when their kisses were small, he was able to calm all of her emotions down instantly. If she was going to be honest, all it took was his hand in hers or even a little bit of any kind of contact. He was amazing.

What got her the most was the fact that he had loved her first. From the moment he saw her, according to him. She didn't know what about her there was to love, but she was sure as hell glad that he saw something. She would've lost it by now without him and there was no denying it. Destiny was the Exceed that she wanted to be with for the rest of whatever life the both of them had, even if it sounded weird to everyone else around them. It was what she wanted and she hoped that it was honestly what he wanted.


	41. Team Subete: Suspicion, Missing Person

Fate nearly had a heart attack when she heard the kids screaming over the clanking of what sounded like pots hitting the ground and woke up only to make eye contact with Destiny for a split second before getting onto her feet. She never would have thought she'd run that fast in her whole life, but was relieved to find that the 3 children were fine.

Abygale had accidentally opened the wrong cupboard in the kitchen while looking for something to snack on and the twins had just gotten scared over the loud noise when a bunch of pots hit the ground. It was exactly what it had sounded like from the bedroom. The only thing that Fate was a little worried about was the fact that Marcy's hair had been very short the night before, but now it reached down to just past her shoulders. It also didn't look dark brown anymore; it was straight black.

Fate picked up Micah since the boy still couldn't walk without support and patted Marcy's head before letting the little girl cling to her arm and hold her hand. She made eye-contact with Abygale and promised to make breakfast in a little bit before Ethan sort of cut her off. She felt bad upon realizing that the kids had woken everyone up.

"I'll make breakfast while you and the kids get ready for the day. Mira dropped off some clothes for them just now; they're in our room."

* * *

Fate didn't know what to do about Marcy's hair. It was almost like it intimidated her, but she knew that it was just hair. She had gotten the twins into the new clothes that Mira had brought and couldn't get over the fact that she had made Marcy a new pair of socks and had even made the little girl a pair of combat boots.

Micah's outfit didn't change much. He wore a pair of blue jeans and a black quarter-sleeved shirt underneath Destiny's flannel, but Marcy had a whole new outfit. She wore her black combat boots over her own pair of blue jeans and wore a brown sweater shirt with darker brown patches on the elbows. Fate couldn't help but stare at her as they ate breakfast with the others.

Fate couldn't get over her hair and it annoyed her, so she gently grabbed Marcy's hair and started to braid it.

"What are you doing?" Marcy asked, moving her head to try and look. Fate made her look forward again and told her not to move before continuing and then replying.

"Your hair was so short and all of the sudden, it's long. Doesn't it bother you?" Fate asked.

Marcy took a bite of her strawberry before shaking her head.

"I don't think so. Should it?" Marcy asked. Fate shrugged and sighed.

"I suppose not..." Fate replied before realizing that Marcy hadn't eaten anything but strawberries. Lucy seemed to notice as well.

"Marcy, why don't you eat a waffle or something? Strawberries will only fill you up for so long." Lucy stated. Marcy shook her head, worrying all of them.

"No, I'm fine. I'll eat later." Marcy replied.

"You're weird." Micah stated, earning a small glare from his sister.

"I'm no weirder than you. Plus, if we're weird, that means Mom and Dad are weird."

Fate could hear Destiny chuckle and she smiled a little bit.

"Come on, Marceline. We're all weird." Abygale stated, making Marcy sigh a little because she knew that Abygale was right.

"Okay, fine." Marcy gave in, making Abygale smile at her.

"Hey, Fate..." Akina addressed the gray Exceed, catching her attention. "I could cut Marcy's hair and do it so you don't have to stress about it. I'm pretty sure you don't know how to do it."

Fate smiled at her.

"I'd like that, thank you... but I'm not sure what'll happen if we cut it. It may not grow ever again or it could just grow back right away or maybe even longer..." Fate explained.

"We won't know until we try, right? I won't cut it much." Akina promised. Fate decided to just let her do it in order to see what would happen.

"Are you okay with that?" Fate asked Marcy. It was her hair after all.

"Will it hurt?" Marcy asked, the worried look in her eyes evident.

"It might if you move, but it shouldn't." Akina replied truthfully.

"I guess so, then..."

"Cool."

* * *

Ethan couldn't help but stare during the time that Akina was doing Marceline's hair. She only cut it up to a little above the young Exceed's shoulders before brushing it back into 2 small pigtails, but he couldn't help but wonder if the little girl was actually an Exceed. She was quarter-Vampire and quarter-Demon, so he blamed everything he found weird about her on those facts... but, she barely looked like an Exceed at all. There was a time that he blamed it on himself.

She was his partner's daughter after all and he didn't want to be suspicious of someone who was basically just brought into the world, no matter how smart she seemed from only a day or so. He was expecting her to ask more questions and the only thing she ever asked him was the spelling, pronunciation and meaning of multiple words. Not small words either, oh not at all. They weren't words like "chair" or words such as it; they were words that her brother would take another year or so to learn. Like "invisibility", "regeneration", "anachronistic", and so on. It scared him at times.

He couldn't get over it, even on the group's way to the guild. Fate had to carry Micah since he still couldn't walk without support and Destiny had to support Fate so she wouldn't fall from her recent injuries, so Abygale basically kept Marcy on a leash by holding her hand. That didn't stop the little girl from stopping to look at multiple things and he was sure that she read a Missing Person's poster (if she could even read), but that caught his attention a little more.

Usually when a person went missing, their family and/or friends would report it straight to the local guild, which happened to be theirs. That's why he took down the poster and read over it, gaining attention from the others and some over-shoulder-lookers.

 **MISSING** **  
** **Zorina Bethen Abrue** **/** **15 Years Old** **/** **Female** **  
Missing from** **Magnolia, Fiore** **since** **Noon** **on** **November 22** **nd** **, x791**

There was a picture of a girl with long white hair and lavender eyes, but nothing else said. No number to call, no reward to give (although they didn't need to give one)… It was almost as if they wanted her gone or didn't want her to be found. Maybe some jobs came in about it…

* * *

"Plenty of jobs came in related to Zorina!" Mira announced, putting the pile of jobs down. It shocked the group at the table.

"Are you kidding or...?" Miharu asked, looking up at Mira, who shook her head.

"Nope, these are all of them!"

"Why wouldn't the family just come to the guild?" Renee asked.

"They wanted to spread their search to every guild they possibly could." Mira replied.

"That's no excuse..." Ruri mumbled, looking through the jobs. "These go all over the place, there's barely an end to them!"

"Well... maybe all of you should form a team."

Things got silent for a moment.

"Why...?" Minx asked.

"Well, you're always hanging out together and going on jobs together. You're team might even rival the strength of Team Natsu." Mira replied.

"What would we even name it, though?" Max asked.

"How about Subete? It means "All" in Japanese."

All of them exchanged looks and gave in.

"Fine, we'll be a team... but we won't always work together! It'll probably only be for this whole case in order to do these jobs." Akina stated.

Mira smiled knowingly and nodded.

"I'll register your team now and mark off the jobs. Good luck. If you need any help, the guild is here for you."


	42. Group 1: Classmate & Teacher

"Why do we have to have such a big group…?"

Fate sighed upon hearing Akina's question. Partners had to stay together and wherever she went, she had to have Micah and Marcy with her. That's the only reason that their group was so big… and insane.

They had 4 Dragon Slayers, but 2 of them were sick from just riding on the train! Fate would've understood if they were on a boat, as she got seasick very easily, but this was just ridiculous. Ethan used to love vehicles since it meant that he didn't have to walk… but mostly since the Grand Magic Games, he'd rather crawl halfway across the world than take any kind of moving vehicle!

Fate wouldn't even get into how sick Akina looked. She and Ethan were leaning against each other while looking out the window, begging for their freedom. Kurai comforted them with words while Namine and Takanashi slightly complained about how they were supposed to be role models for the younger ones in the group.

She found it funny how Abygale, Micah and Marcy didn't really seem to care. They were busy playing a card game with Tristan and Cass, who were getting competitive with each other before Marcy crashed down on their anger towards each other by winning. Fate was watching everything happening from beside Destiny, who was resting against her. The poor Exceed had barely gotten any sleep over the past week due to worrying over her and the kids, so Fate was going to let him sleep even if it was a little uncomfortable.

As Marcy won another game and the 2 motion sick Dragon Slayers crumbled to the floor, the train started slowing to a halfway stop where everyone could get off to stretch their bodies and buy food and such for the rest of the way.

"The 3 of us will go, as the rest of you seem busy…" Namine offered, beckoning Kurai and Takanashi along with her, leaving the others to sit and wait.

"Is it… over…?" Ethan asked, still on the ground with Akina at his side, looking ready to throw up on each other. Fate smiled sympathetically at them.

"Not yet, partner…" She sighed in reply. "We still have half of the ride left…"

Ethan groaned, slumping against the floor with Akina right behind him. It made Fate giggle, oblivious to the look Tristan was giving her…

* * *

"Thank you for coming…"

"No. Thank _**you**_ for having us."

Fate was surprised at how formal Kurai could be, but understood why. The girl in front of them, Elaine Kline, was a close classmate to Zorina and had served them all tea and juice, along with multiple tiny snacks. She seemed quite anxious to be around them, which served suspicion along with sympathy.

"So, you were often Zorina's partner in class?" Akina asked, starting them off.

"Yes, I was. She was really smart and she often told me that I was smarter, although I don't think she ever meant it…" Elaine replied.

"On November 22nd x791, around Noon, where were you and what were you doing?"

"I was working my part-time job at a bakery in Magnolia since it happened to be a Pro-D-Day at my school. I was hoping to have a day off, but they called me in because one of the other workers had gotten food-poisoning."

"Where did _**you**_ last see Zorina?"

"She came to the bakery with her friends, actually. They bought a couple of pastries and then went on their way… It was when Zorina didn't return home after parting with them that we realized she wouldn't return…"

"Did Zorina suffer from any illness or take any medication?"

"She had been very stressed about tests and upcoming projects, and she often took Advil… But otherwise, no…"

"What was Zorina's relationship like with her parents, siblings and friends?"

"Perfect… Zorina was the type of girl that everyone came to love even if they started out hating her…"

"Did Zorina have any current haters around the time that she disappeared, or anyone who would want to harm her? Did she mention anyone giving her a hard time?"

"No, the hate never lasted long. It was barely ever hate, honestly… but, there was someone who was giving her a hard time. Her History teacher was failing her because she always ended up being late to class. It was a little bit before she was supposed to transfer classes in which she went missing."

And just like that, Akina ended the conversation as quickly as it had started.

* * *

"I really have nothing to say to you kids."

"But you have to say something to us Mages."

It's was everyone else's turn to be surprised. When Zorina's History teacher, Nicholas Conor, continuously turned them away, Fate kept pushing back with replies.

"Listen, I have nothing to say to talking cats." Nicholas stated.

"Actually, we're Exceeds. Also, we're not all Exceeds." Fate countered.

There was a pause before Nicholas opened his door completely, allowing them to enter his classroom. He wasn't and old and creepy teacher, but looked young and would be considered hot to some teenagers with his muscular build. He could've been an athlete or something, why be a teacher?

"I want you all to sit down and _**shut up**_."

They did as they were told, sitting in the front row of the classroom as the teacher shut the door, walking to the front of the room and standing there. He lifted his arms before dropping them as if that was his way of asking what the Hell they were doing there.

Fate crossed her arms with a small huff, not liking how rude he was being. She made eye contact with Akina, who flicked her eyes at the teacher before landing them back on the Exceed, telling her to do what she had with Elaine.

"Are you familiar with the disappearance of Zorina Abrue?" Fate asked, starting it off gently.

"By disappearance, you mean skipping my classes?" Nicholas asked. "She missed the first week and then was always late afterwards."

"Mr. Conor, Zorina went missing a week or so ago."

Nicholas froze, thinking over it before giving Fate a confused smile.

"Is that supposed to be a joke…?" He asked.

"On November 22nd x791, around Noon, where were you and what were you doing?" Fate asked, causing him to grab a chair and sit down, taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"I was sitting at my desk in this exact room, grading recent test papers. I had no idea that Zorina disappeared…"

"When and where did you last see Zorina?"

"Last week on November 21st. She was studying in the library."

"Why were you in the library?"

"I was picking up the new History textbooks."

"Did Zorina seem stressed?"

"She was catching up like crazy in all of her subjects and seemed a little stressed and sleep-deprived…"

"What was Zorina's relationship like with her classmates?"

"They all loved her and looked up to her despite her failing grade."

"A classmate of Zorina's mentioned that you were purposely failing her and didn't seem to have a good relationship with her."

"Well, how am I supposed to give her a good grade with her "effort"?"

"And the relationship part…?"

Nicholas paused, looking down at the ground before answering.

"She hated me and I admit that I didn't like her attitude towards me… But I would _**never**_ harm a student."

Everyone was quiet and exchanged small looks as Nicholas buried his head and his hands, running them through his hair as he muttered a curse.

 _'Where have we gotten with this…?'_


	43. Groups 2 & 3: Boy-friends & Doctors

"This is ridiculous…"

Akuma let out a small laugh upon hearing Tenshi's comment towards the Daznews twins. The Elemental Dragon Slayer's were clinging to each other, ready to lose their breakfasts in the carriage they were taking. The group of 4 was travelling less far than the other groups, but that didn't see to soothe any of them.

That's when Chilled tumbled out of his seat, landing face-first of the bottom of the carriage. Minx nearly followed, but instead went sideways and took her brother's seat.

"You're…" Minx paused her insult to push down her waffles. "An idiot… Chilled…"

"I'm…" Chilled paused as well, pushing down some of his own breakfast. "Well aware…"

"Do you both always get motion sick like this?" Akuma asked, giving them both a sympathetic smile. When they nodded, her sympathetic smile grew. "And _**nothing**_ helps?"

"Walking helps…" Minx replied sourly, pulling a chuckle out of Chilled.

"We've tried… a lot of things… but nothing has… ever helped… Except Troia…" Chilled explained, constantly swallowing harshly.

"Troia…?" Akuma asked.

"It's a spell. It cures any kind of motion sickness, but if it's used too much then the effects lessen." Tenshi explained, making her nod in understanding.

"It doesn't… work on us… anymore…" Minx sighed.

"Well, the ride shouldn't take much longer. Hang in there, okay?" Akuma asked, gaining nods from the both of them.

* * *

"So, you were the last ones to see Zorina before she disappeared?" Chilled asked, gaining nods from the 2 girls in front of the group of 4.

Quinn Walton and Shannon Reynolds were friends of Zorina before she disappeared and were supposedly the last ones to see her.

"She said that she forgot something and needed to go get it, so we let her go and she never ended up arriving at our location…" Quinn explained.

"So, I guess it would be dumb to ask where you were on November 22nd x791 around Noon and what you were doing." Minx said. Quinn shook her head.

"We separated from Zorina and went to her boyfriend's house to continue setting up for his surprise early birthday party. It was her idea and we were all ecstatic to help, but when we ended up having to throw it without her… We just _**knew**_ that something was wrong. She wouldn't have missed Armani's birthday party for anything unless it was family, but she would've told someone." Shannon explained.

"Did Zorina suffer from any illness or take any medication?" Tenshi asked, making Quinn and Shannon exchange looks.

"She had been really stressed and anxious due to school, and she often took Tylenol and Advil… But otherwise, she was perfectly healthy physically and mentally." Shannon replied.

"And how was she feeling emotionally?"

"She was fine… She would've told us if anything was wrong. Armani made her really happy and so did we."

"Did Zorina have any current haters around the time that she disappeared, or anyone who would want to harm her? Did she mention anyone giving her a hard time?"

"Her History teacher was failing her, but other than that, she was perfectly fine!"

'History teacher…?'

* * *

"I swear that you guys'll be the death of us…" Rory sighed sourly, making Ruri sigh at him.

Taking a boat with 5 Dragon Slayers was deadly, even if 2 of them weren't motion sick like the other 3, especially when the motion sickness stuck around for a while, all the way to the house of Zorina's boyfriend. They had chosen that one because Adam thought Armani's house would be in Magnolia, but it was actually in Hargeon and the quickest way there, you guessed it, was by boat.

"I'm sorry about them. They get motion sick on anything." Phil apologized, making Armani shake his head a little bit.

"It's fine…" He assured them.

"You were Zorina's boyfriend, right?" Henkou asked, trying to move them along. Armani nodded. "On November 22nd x791, around Noon, where were you and what were you doing?"

"I was tutoring a kid down the street in Math. I work as a tutor so I can focus on school more than I would be able to if I had another job."

"When and where did you last see Zorina?" Dan asked, currently rubbing Jordan's back to try and help him recover from the boat ride.

"In the morning before I left to go and tutor." Armani replied.

"Did Zorina suffer from any illness or take any medication?"

"She was stressed and anxious and took painkillers, but I think that's normal for a high school student…"

"Did Zorina have any current haters around the time that she disappeared, or anyone who would want to harm her?"

"What? No! Everyone loved Zorina! Do you think that she was… murdered or kidnapped or something!? She's just missing!"

"W-We're not saying that she's anything but missing right now, b-but we have to make sure…" Aaron replied to his small outburst, everyone else not knowing how to.

"Did she mention anyone giving her a hard time?" Yuuki asked, following Aaron's sentence and crossing her arms over her chest.

Armani seemed to think before he let out a sigh.

"Her History teacher was failing her and she mentioned her doctor, but I can't remember why."

* * *

"I'm not sure why you kids are asking about Zorina. She's gone, isn't she?"

Cathy glared daggers at Zorina's so-called doctor, her and the other 2 Dragon Slayers' on either side of her cured from their recent motion sickness. His name was Lewis Moore and none of them liked him.

"We were told that you were giving Zorina a hard time before she disappeared." Jordan said, making Lewis sigh.

"I was trying to give her medication to help her sleep at night since she was becoming an insomniac from all the stress and anxiety school giving her. So, she yelled at me and ran off like the stubborn teenage girl she was." Lewis explained.

"On November 22nd x791, around Noon, where were you and what were you doing?" Adam asked.

"I was right in this exact spot with another patient…"

"When did you last see Zorina?"

"November 18th of this year…"

"Did Zorina suffer from any illness or take any medication?"

"She "suffered" from stress and anxiety, and she took painkillers for her regular headaches."

"Did she mention anyone giving her a hard time?"

"What am I, her therapist? She mentioned her History teacher failing her and how that was a main source of her stress and anxiety, but no one else. Nothing else… Are we done here?"

"Almost…" Ruri replied, glaring at him. He stared back emotionlessly at her. "Did Zorina always come here alone?"

"She's a grown young lady; I don't see why she shouldn't." Lewis replied.

"Usually parents accompany their children at least once to their doctor. Did her parents not know about you?"

"That yells suspicious." Rory agreed.

"I'm not sure if they did or they didn't. It was Zorina's choice to see me and to continue seeing me, not mine. Now, if you would leave, I have many patients to see and you've thrown off my schedule as it is." Lewis sighed.

"Fine…"


	44. Group 4: Parents & Close Friends

"How do you think the others are doing?"

Miharu almost groaned when Hotaru asked that and gently hit her head against the window of the train they were on, watching as they passed over a river. Why did she have to be stuck with this group? Why did she have to get stuck with this team?

"I'm sure they're doing fine." Charles replied with a small smile.

"They're strong, so I'm sure that they're fine." Jo agreed.

"I know, but I can't help it. I'm worried and I have this bad feeling about Zorina's disappearance…" Hotaru sighed.

Miharu understood the whole bad feeling part, but Hotaru was starting to annoy her. Just because they were a year apart, it didn't mean that they _**had**_ to be friends. Honestly, what kind of magic did Hotaru even use? She used more than just Mind/Memory Magic and Miharu could feel it, even though it was faint.

"You need to calm down. I doubt that anything will happen. If anything does, then you can hit me." Krystal sighed heavily.

She didn't seem too happy about being separated from her brother… or maybe it was just the fact that Charles kept bugging her at points. Ryeluen, Peter and Sage stayed quiet, not wanting to be included much like Miharu didn't.

Miharu took the silence to think about whatever she could and for some reason, remembered way back to when Tenroujima had reappeared. She and Ryeluen had tagged along to find the missing members for Ryeluen's reason… He wanted to see someone, right? He also wanted to meet some people, but he never seemed to react to anyone.

She stuck close to him because she trusted him the most and he had stuck close to the rest of Team Subete for some reason… Perhaps the same reason from Tenroujima?

"Hey, Rye…" Miharu addressed him, catching his attention. "You never told me who you wanted to see and meet on Tenroujima. Who were they?"

Ryeluen smiled a bit, thinking back to it.

"Well, I wanted to meet the other Dragon Slayers because you're one. I figured one of them might've known where your Dragon was, but it looks like they're all in the same boat…" Ryeluen explained with a sigh.

"I see… But, what about that one person you wanted to see? You made it obvious to me that it was someone, not more than one person." Miharu stated, curious as to who Ryeluen was willing to travel across the ocean just to see.

Ryeluen's gaze got serious and he pressed his lips into a firm line, seeming to sigh quietly.

"Aw, do you admire someone, Ryeluen?" Charles asked jokingly, making Rye glare at him a bit as a reply before he leaned back against his seat.

"I just thought that she would be like I heard of her grandmother. I thought she could help me with something or that she'd at least have some answers, but I haven't been able to talk to her. With how she is, I don't think that she'll have any idea what I'm even talking about…" Rye explained.

The others were silent for a moment before Miharu knocked Ryeluen's hat off of his head, making him flinch and grab for it. She grinned and sighed.

"We asked _**who**_ , not why." She chuckled.

"Isn't it obvious, though?" Ryeluen asked a little smugly, making Miharu jump and pretend to think about it, laughing nervously. "I mean, who's grandmother have we all heard about?"

It clicked in their heads and they were even more confused than before, so Ryeluen sighed and explained.

"There's a seal on my magic, so I can't use my full power at any time. The only one who has the power to remove that seal… is Fate."

* * *

"On November 22nd x791, around Noon, where were you and what were you doing?"

What was the point? If her parents were putting up Missing Person posters, they obviously didn't know anything about her disappearance. Why ask them about anything related to it? Nonetheless, Miharu stayed quiet and let Rye ask Zorina's parents the questions they were supposed to.

"We were both working at our separate jobs." Scott, Zorina's dad, replied.

"When and where did you last see Zorina?" Charles asked.

"Here, asleep in her room before we both headed off to work."

"Did Zorina suffer from any illness or take any medication?"

"She was very stressed and anxious, and took painkillers very often. She also had mild depression, but it wasn't like she needed any anti-depressants for it." Grace, Zorina's mom, explained.

"Did Zorina mention anyone giving her a hard time?" Rye asked.

"She was failing her History class and blamed it on her History teacher, but there wasn't anything else…"

They all exchanged looks, some confused and some worried.

* * *

"You can't possibly think that I played a part in her disappearance, do you!?"

"I understand that you're upset, but you need to calm down so we can help you."

Miharu was surprised that Jo was able to make Zorina's closest friend, Alicia Wells, sit down and shut her mouth, crossing her arms over her chest. She was obviously bitchy about losing Zorina. It showed.

"I was helping the others set up her boyfriends surprise early birthday party. You can even _**ask**_ them." Alicia replied. "And before you ask, I last saw Zorina before she headed to the bakery with Quinn and Shannon. I blame her _**fucking**_ History teacher or her creepy _**fucking**_ doctor for her disappearance."

"We heard about the History teacher, but we didn't hear anything about a doctor…" Krystal mumbled, making Alicia roll her eyes.

"She barely told anyone about him due to him being a major creep, but he was the only one who could get her the medicine she needed. Her parents didn't even know, alright? She's going to kick my ass from the afterlife for telling you this; I hope you _**fucking**_ know that."

"She swears a lot…" Sage mumbled softly to her brother, making him pat her head.

"I know, don't mention it." He ordered softly, gaining a nod from her.

"Did she mention the doctor doing anything?" Hotaru asked.

"He tried to give her sleeping pills to help with her stress and then basically called her out on it all because she didn't want them. How's that for doing something?" Alicia asked sneeringly, making Hotaru look down in shame.

"And what about you? Why didn't you help her or tell someone?" Miharu asked, not knowing where her defensiveness came from.

"I couldn't! She disappeared before I could do shit all!"

"Well, what about before then? You could've done shit _**something**_."

"Fuck you all. Zorina's dead, so fuck off."

"She'll kick your ass in this life for thinking that when we find her."

Alicia shut up and Miharu gave her a small, proud smile.

"You just got told by a 14 year old Mage, pretty girl."


	45. Guys?

"So, we're back to square one…?"

Everyone sighed, knowing that Hotaru's innocent question had been correct. They all had the same clues and couldn't put them together to make any scenarios. A lot of things could've happened and it could've even been that Zorina got kidnapped by somebody she didn't even know… but then again, that wouldn't make too much sense either. Nothing had even been happening in the area…

Zorina disappeared on November 22nd of that year, x791, around Noon by the Magnolia bakery. She went to the bakery with her 2 friends to pick up stuff for her boyfriend's surprise early birthday party and said that she needed to go get something that she forgot, so she separated from them. Everyone suspected had been doing their own things… She was stressed, anxious and mildly depressed because she was failing her History class and didn't get along too well with her History teacher. Sh also didn't get along too well with her private doctor because he tried to help her and she didn't want the help.

However, there were some little things they had dug into that made them slightly confused.

Elaine had stated that Zorina, Shannon and Quinn had bought _**pastries**_ , but Quinn and Shannon very briefly mentioned buying a cake to each other while they were getting ready for the "interrogation". They could've bought both, but the group wasn't sure. So Elaine was suspect No. 1.

Everyone had mentioned Zorina's History teacher, Nicholas Connor, who had admitted to giving Zorina a failing grade and not getting along too well with her. Even though he had promised that he'd never hurt a student, they couldn't be sure of that. So Nicholas was suspect No. 2.

Suspect No. 3 was Zorina's doctor, Lewis Moore. She hadn't told anyone about him, not even her parents, but she had weirdly told her closest friend and that close friend had called him a creep. He had called her stubborn and tried to cut the "interrogation" short, blaming it on having other patients.

Maybe bringing the 3 of them together somewhere in Magnolia would help put things together… but 2 of them hadn't gotten back yet. Within a group vote, they decided to put things together and then take some extra notes when Nate and Tanner got back.

* * *

"Do I have to accompany you?"

"It's not my fault that you made no objections to being on the team. I honestly don't mind, I think it's flattering to be on the same team as the girl who's going to save the world."

"You're weird… and where the Hell are we going when we have a job to do!?"

When Nate didn't reply, Tanner got even more suspicious. She couldn't exactly see anything but walls and a ladder while she was busy flying after said Exceed above her, so she was confused about what they were doing. She opened her mouth to ask again, but was cut off when Nate replied.

"We're getting someone. Something tells me that we're going to need him." Nate stated, confusing Tanner even more.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that listening to the voices in your head just might not be the best idea?" Tanner asked, making Nate groan.

"I'm serious, alright!?"

"I was just joking!"

"You've got to be joking."

When Nate gently hit Tanners shoulder and walked ahead without her, she knew that he was honestly being serious about everything. She didn't know whether to be scared or angry, but she knew that she didn't agree with who Nate wanted to bring along. No matter how much his story made sense or how much Tristan backed it up, she'd never trust Jered Asher.

Controlled by this Callias person or not, he was the one who threw her in that cell and left her there. She knew that Nate would've countered with some sort of excuse about how he'd probably still be stuck in his own cell if she hadn't been there…

' _Not like I care or anything. He could've rotted away in that cell for all I care. I didn't_ _ **need**_ _to help him; I just felt a little kind in that moment…_ ' Tanner thought, going a little pink as she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Jered over Nate's shoulder. Nate gave her a patient smile.

"Aw, come on. Give him a break. He doesn't remember anything; I doubt he even remembers knowing you." Nate stated.

"We didn't know each other. We briefly met before he threw me in a fucking cell." Tanner corrected.

"I-I did that…?" Jered asked softly, making Tanner almost growl.

She would've if it wasn't for Nate being around and giving her time to adjust to the other Exceed hanging about. Instead, she placed her hands on her hips and turned away.

"I'm going easy on you, but if you screw up even the _**tiniest**_ thing, I'll kill you." Tanner stated, contemplating whether to glare over her shoulder or not.

Jered seemed to understand, though, because he put his head down after nodding, mumbling a small "Yes ma'am". It made Tanner sigh a little bit before walking ahead, shaking her head at Nate's dumb logic.

* * *

"I-I don't understand why we're here. I thought you only needed to speak to us once."

"I'm confused as well."

"I just find this cutting into my schedule."

Akina swallowed back her anger at the 3 people in front of her. They had the nerve to whine and complain when the group who called them there were trying to find their classmate, student and patient. If anything, they should've been thankful.

"We just want to ask you a couple more questions." Charles stated, hoping that it would be left at that. It wasn't.

"Why just us 3, though? And us 3 in particular?" Elaine asked, seeming a little panicked.

"Well, that's because—" Namine started, but was cut off.

"I don't see why _**we**_ should be here." Nicholas cut her off. He seemed anxious and a little pissed off. Lewis didn't even speak after Nicholas' sentence; he just sat in his seat and looked pissy.

"Alright, you want to know why we called you to a random fucking coffee shop in Magnolia?" Akina asked, gaining everyone's eyes on her. "Because the 3 of you are our main suspects. Deal with it!"

They all sat up straight with widened eyes, not understanding why. Before they could open their mouths to shout out questions to the group in front of them, Akina continued talking.

"Elaine, you said that on November 22nd in this year, x791, that Zorina and her 2 friends, Quinn and Shannon, visited a bakery that you happened to be working in that exact day. They went there to pick up some stuff for her boyfriend's surprise early birthday party, but here's where you become suspicious. You said that they bought pastries, but we overheard Quinn and Shannon mentioned buying a cake. They didn't mention anything else, so how are we supposed to know that you're not lying to cover up something?" Akina asked, leaving the girl speechless. Akina turned to Nicholas.  
"Nicholas, Zorina mentioned to everyone that you were failing her and that was her main source of stress and anxiety. You promised that you'd never hurt a student, but you also admitted that you and Zorina didn't get along. Looks like it was showing and that she certainly felt attacked." Akina stated before turning to Lewis.  
"Lewis Moore, you gave brief answers and tried to cut our little interrogation short by blaming it on your schedule. However, would you show us a schedule for November 22nd x791 to prove that you're not guilty for Zorina's disappearance due to her being stubborn and not accepting your "professional" help? Because honestly, only she, you and her closest friend, Alicia Wells, knew about her seeing you, and if that doesn't scream suspicion, God fucking help me."

The 3 of them couldn't speak and the group wasn't sure how to sugar-coat Akina's little lectures towards the suspects. However, they needed to speak to avoid getting suspected more and Lewis started, reaching into one of his back jean pockets to pull out a small calendar-looking booklet. He flipped through it to find a piece of folded paper and unfolded it, holding it out to Akina for her to take.

It was a professionally signed schedule for November 22nd of x791, proving that he was working around Noon and didn't have time to head to Magnolia and back. Akina folded it and handed it back, signalling for Rye to show Lewis to the door and allowing him to leave before waiting for the other 2 suspects to prove their innocence.

"It was a Pro-D-Day. Even if the students take time off, the teachers have to be there. I couldn't have done anything, but it's not like I would've wanted to." Nicholas said.

"Yah, that's not good enough for me." Akina stated, making him roll his eyes as her groaned. "You either have proof or you don't. So which is it?"

Nicholas leaned down, zipping open his bag and digging through it, finding what he wanted. Akina took the crinkled paper for him to see that it was a letter from the school board regarding the Pro-D-Day, and it was addressed to him. It stated a lot of things Akina didn't understand, but what proved he was innocent was a paper in the back with the school he worked at and the Teacher attendee list, in which had his name near the top.

Rye showed Nicholas to the door as well and that left it at Elaine, who looked like she was about to start sweating.

"I was working. You can't expect me to prove that when I was called in…" Elaine said, looking like she was trying to shrink herself down under everyone's gazes.

"That's not the thing, though." Minx stated, making everyone look at her. "I asked Shannon and Quinn if they knew you or saw you at the bakery that exact day and they denied both."

Everyone looked back at Elaine, who looked ready to break. She started to stutter and her eyes looked like they were becoming glassy with tears, but she eventually gave up and just took a moment of silence. She stood up and opened her mouth, and everyone waited for her response.

Then she turned on her heel and crashed through the window.

Everyone took a moment, not knowing what had just happened, but Akina took the lead and dashed after Elaine, who was most definitely guilty of Zorina's disappearance with that reaction. The others ran after Elaine and Akina, some splitting off and going separate ways to cut off the so-called classmate of Zorina Abrue.

* * *

Elaine was knocking over whatever her hands could find to try and throw the others off, but it was barely working. The teenage girl could run, that was for sure, but she couldn't run forever and hiding in Magnolia would fail her quickly. It was only a matter of time before the group caught her, so it made them wonder why she would try.

They understood when she stopped running on a desolate street, pulling a gun from her waistband, making everyone stop as they met up in front of her.

"Just let me go." Elaine pleaded.

"We can't do that until you tell us where Zorina is, what you've done to her and why you've done it." Adam stated calmly, trying to get her to lower the gun if possible.

"She's in my basement! You know where I live, so just go get her and leave me alone!"

"That's only one answer…"

"I didn't get to do anything because you all showed up looking for her! I wanted to hurt her because she's so _**perfect**_ to everyone else, yet she was always complaining about her life! She doesn't know how fucking hard it is for me or for anyone else out there! She's sel—"

All of the sudden, an arrow became visible through the front of Elaine's eye.

"—fish…"

Her gun slipped out of her hand and clattered to the ground, followed by her body… And then there was the killer, Zorina Abrue. She didn't look happy, but she didn't look guilty either and there was nowhere she could've gotten the arrow from, so everyone was shocked at the sight before them.

"The bitch serves right…" Zorina mumbled, her voice flat before she looked up at the group. The pistol that Elaine had been holding was now somehow in her possession and she looked over the group with an emotionless expression. "You're looking lively."

"What the _**fuck**_ was that!?" Akina asked in disbelief, voicing what everyone thought. Fate couldn't help but sigh, thinking of how much foul language Marcy and Micah were going to grow up with.

"What do you mean by that? She deserved it. It would've probably been me if it wasn't for all of you getting onto the case." Zorina stated. Everyone shivered upon seeing her small grin. "Thanks."

"You didn't need to _**kill**_ her…" Cathy stated. "She would've been thrown in jail and that would've been enough, no?"

"No. It wouldn't have been."

Fate clenched her hands into fists, not believing what Zorina had to say. She narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but feel angry, even in the slightest.

"She was your classmate. She helped you before she did what she did and all you have to do is _**kill her**_?" Fate asked.

That's when Zorina raised the gun, not answering Fate's question. They heard the click of it cocking and her grin dropped as she took another look over the group, her eyes eventually landing on Fate. She was standing at the front and the gun was aimed straight at her, taking her back to how Jonah had died. It was exactly like that. Zorina was in Jackson's place right now.

Her finger curled around the trigger and her own eyes narrowed, almost as if she had switched with the Exceed in front of her.

"I don't like people who talk back. I have big plans and I know that you'll get in the way if I let you live."

And then the trigger was pulled.

"No!" Ethan yelled.

In an act of desperation, he pushed past a couple of others before diving straight at Fate, getting out of the way at the last moment. As Ethan stood, Fate grasped at herself, searching for a bullet wound. When she didn't feel any pain, she knew that she had been spared the pain of feeling a bullet pierce her. A moment later, she watched as Zorina disappeared from sight, probably with teleportation magic, before Ethan stomped a foot on the ground in frustration.

"Mom!" Marcy cried as she launched herself at Fate, flying into her arms as she checked her Mother for injuries, obviously scared.

Fate held her tightly, shaking her head to tell her daughter that she was okay before getting up, pulling Marceline up with her. The little girl wouldn't let go, though. She was frozen in shock and Fate looked up, noticing that the others were as well.

"Ethan…" Akina gasped, hearing Takanashi starting to cry out of fear for her older brother.

Fate whipped around, her stomach instantly beginning to twist into knots as she landed her eyes on the sight in now in front of her. Ethan Hibiki stood before them; his head hung low and his arms dead at his sides. He swayed slightly on his feet and that was when Fate began to notice the puddle of blood forming on the ground from an injury he must have just suffered.

Then, Ethan looked up slowly and Fate couldn't stop herself from letting out a cry of pure horror and anguish and her partner opened his mouth to speak.

"Guys…?"

* * *

 **A/N: Prepare yourself for the next chapter…This is only the start. The Major Arc is going to start soon…**


	46. He Needs You: I Need Him

_**Marcy was screaming.**_

Fate was frozen in place, her heart stopping in her chest as she stared over at Ethan. Blood was dripping profusely down his cheek and his right eye no longer rested in its socket. She could even see fragments of bone sticking out of his cheek and she had to cover her mouth to avoid losing her stomach. She watched as the blood slowly made its way down his chin, sliding down his neck where it began to soak into his shirt. Then, a moment later, his single eye closed and he collapsed to the ground without a sound.

"Ethan!" Fate screamed before she could stop herself.

Immediately, everyone dropped what they were doing and Charles sprinted forward to scoop the fragile teenager into his arms. All Fate could do was turn her attention to Marceline, who was frozen in shock and was staring at the place Ethan had just been laying; her mouth still wide open as she let out another scream.

"Grab her!" Jordan ordered as the group started to run, one after the other.

Knowing that there was no chance she was going to get through to Marcy in a time like this, Fate swept her legs out from under her and caught her in her arms before she could hit the ground. Pulling her to her chest, her screams echoed in Fate's ears and she had to put her face against her shoulder to muffle them. Marcy clung tightly to her, her screams slowly turning into sobs as the seconds ticked on.

And then Fate was running after the others. She wasn't sure where, mainly due to the fact that Minx was leading the way whilst the rest of them trailed behind, a couple of them struggling to keep up the people in their arms as they ran. Sweat and blood mixed together was probably seeping into Charles' eyes, but he continued to run because he knew that if he stopped, he'd be risking Ethan's life.

Stumbling slightly on the uneven terrain, Fate pushed herself forward, darting and shoving through the people who scattered the streets and roads because they didn't know what had happened. Minx, thankfully, was able to clear most of them that stood in the group's path, but the same couldn't be said for the amount of people that were curious as to what was happening.

Suddenly, up ahead, Fate's eyes landed on a building up ahead and she recognized it as the Guild. Then, a moment later, the doors swung open to reveal some of their Guildmate's. They must've heard the gunshot and when they saw Ethan in Charles' arms, some gasped and others beckoned them to run faster.

"Come on, quickly!" Mirajane called.

Cutting across the street, Fate held Marcy tightly to her as she sprinted up the steps behind the others, gasping for breath as she did so, and then flew inside, nearly falling to her knees in the process. Some of the others followed a moment later and all she could hear in the moments that followed were everyone's desperate sobs as they pleaded for Mira and Wendy to help save Ethan's life. She would've been begging the most if it wasn't for how much shock she was in.

Putting Marcy on the ground beside a table, Fate approached where Mira had ordered Charles to put Ethan on a table so she could work faster. Every second counted.

"I need bandages—Top shelf next to the sink! Romeo, get me 2 IVs—they're in the fridge! Gray, get me all of the clean towels you can find! Erza, I need a pair of clean scissors!" Mira ordered.

They all set to work and Wendy approached Mira's side, her eyes widening in surprise as a hand flew to her mouth in shock.

"Wh-What do I do…?" She asked softly. Mira grabbed a nearby towel as Erza handed her some scissors.

"I want you to hold this to his face and keep pressure." Mira replied. "Follow my every movement, okay? I need to go in there and sew up the lacerations."

Wendy nodded, no longer scared but instead determined to help and everyone watched as she began dabbing at Ethan's face. However, whenever she'd wipe away a streak of blood, 2 more would appear in its place. Letting out a shaky sigh, Mira put the thread through the needle and leaned over Ethan's face, her breath blowing his hair from his face.

Ethan looked so weak and lifeless on that table and Fate was desperate to see him open his hazel eyes again. She needed some sort of sign that he was still there, fighting to live. Even if he woke up screaming, making her ears bleed, she would be grateful. Unfortunately, she was just left in the dark, hoping and praying that Mira and Wendy's skills would be enough to save him.

The room instantly went quiet and the silence was suddenly overwhelming. Fate's hands were trembling a mile a minute and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. Dry heaving, she pulled away from the sight and before she could stop herself, she had emptied her stomach on the hardwood floor. No one could blame her and they most certainly wouldn't. Her head was pounding and her legs were trembling so profoundly that she knew she was only moments from collapsing herself.

She couldn't do this. She couldn't just sit there and watch Mira and Wendy save her partner's life when she knew that the woman who did this was out there. She was truly and genuinely trapped between a rock and a hard place. Ethan was counting on her to help save him but at this point, she felt like she was just going to end up causing more harm than good.

Fate let out a shaky sob and buried her face in her hands. Then, she heard a soft and calming voice in her ear.

"Fate…" Destiny whispered, placing one hand on her shoulder whilst using the other to pull her hands from her eyes, making her notice that Mira and Wendy had their eyes flicking from Ethan to her. It was as if they were waiting. "They need you. He needs you."

All she could do was nod and then she was steadily leaning against Destiny as he helped her cross over to Ethan's head, where his face was so pale, it looked like the time he failed cooking one meal and instead, got flour everywhere. She looked up at Wendy, awaiting instructions.

"I can't use my Healing Magic while I'm concentrating. If we want him to have a steady chance, we'll need to use even the slightest bit of it. Would you mind using yours?" Wendy asked softly, making Fate pause before she nodded, reaching out her hands and starting to use her magic.

She couldn't look and she had to turn her head away as she focused on her magic. This was her partner. The one she had been with for all of those 14 painful years, plus some. He was the one person who didn't leave her, no matter how harsh that sounded. He was there for her the whole time and now, she needed to be there for him.

* * *

Ethan was alive. He wasn't awake, but he was alive.

No one could take the first step, though. They were all frozen in time, their bodies stiff from the sudden death of Elaine Kline and killer instincts of Zorina Abrue. A couple of them were stiff from Ethan's blood because of earlier when they had acted so desperately to save him, and luckily had.

The infirmary was quiet even though most of the time it was full of Guild members. At least half of the Guild has been crammed into the little room, the rest scattered about the Guild wondering what to even do. In and out, in and out… it was a repeating cycle that never ended. The natural guess was that none of them were ready to walk away yet. They were the safest in numbers at that point. They just needed the comfort of each other when they had been convinced only hours before that Ethan would die around them.

Fate found herself sitting on the bed that had become Ethan's with Marceline in her lap. Marcy's eyes were closed and Fate was thankful for it. She hadn't slept the entire night, much like many others, and it took Micah over an hour to finally get his sister to speak. Fate began to wonder whether Marcy would ever be the same. Only a few days in the world and she had to see _**that**_ of all things: Ethan's injury, Zorina holding that gun and nearly shooting her Mother, and the death of Elaine had to be overwhelming. Fate couldn't imagine the type of trauma that could do to a child and didn't know how Micah seemed unaffected. Destiny was with him, though. He would be okay…

Fate stared down at Marcy's little body in her arms and her face fell at the blood that still covered her own hands. Thankfully none of the blood had gotten onto Marcy, but it still had an effect on her. Just then, she began to squirm in Fate's arms and let out a tiny whimper that she could only assume was the result of a nightmare. Her eyes flickered back and forth between her lids and her head began to nod off as if she could shake away the dream. Pressing her lips to her forehead, she stopped moving and burrowed her face deeper into Fate's chest.

Allowing her eyes to scan over Ethan's body, Fate's face fell at the sight of his bruised face. There was no hope for the eye. The fragments of the bullet had caused too much damage. From now on, he would have to live with that brutal scar and for the rest of his life would he only be able to see through one eye. The boy was only 17 years old and he had already been shot, and in one of the most horrible places he could've been shot. It just wasn't fair.

Pursing her lips, Fate couldn't help but allow her tears to fill her eyes and she had to stifle back a sob to avoid be heard from the other room. Then, as if able to sense the pain, the door opened behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to see Akina entering the room. She walked over, grabbed one of the chairs from the wall, and placed it down beside where Fate was sitting on the bed. Then, a moment later, she sunk down into it herself. Another moment later, Akina frowned, reaching forward to lightly pat Fate's head.

"What's wrong?" She questioned softly. "Are you hurt?" She asked, and when Fate shook her head, she motioned to Marcy. "Is your girl hurt?"

Fate brushed her finger absentmindedly through Marcy's hair and swallowed.

"She's traumatized…" Fate whispered. "She saw Zorina shoot Ethan—she saw him collapse and not get back up. She saw all the blood and watched Elaine die. Then, I left her by a table alone and I shouldn't have. I should have stayed with her. Now, she won't talk to me and she hasn't left Ethan's side since. This is the first time I've managed to get her to sleep."

Fate could see the sadness evident in Akina's eyes and she swallowed as well.

"I wish I could've been there, more… dependent on you guys to save Ethan while I looked for something to do. Instead, I just stood there, thinking that if I maybe stared long enough, he'd shoot up from his position and yell out that it was all a joke…" She told her softly.

Fate merely shook her head and pressed her lips into a firm line to keep them from quivering.

"That's not even it, Akina." Fate whispered, her eyes moving back towards Ethan's unmoving body. Akina frowned.

"Then what is it?" She asked. A single tear slid down Fate's cheek and she made no effort to wipe it away.

"I did this to Ethan…"

"What?"

Fate took a breath.

"I was in the line of fire and I… I should've moved by myself. I shouldn't have been frozen like I was. I just… Looking at that gnu, aimed straight towards me and intent on killing _**me**_ … It felt like Jonah all over again. Both Jackson and Zorina wanted to kill _**me**_ , but Jonah and Ethan got the hits instead… And Jonah is dead and my partner is suffering, wavering between life and death… _**All because of**_ _ **me**_." The tears were coming faster now. "If I hadn't been so scared and stubborn, then Jonah would be alive and Ethan would be fine." Fate motioned to the boy in front of her. " _ **He wouldn't be like this**_!"

Fate was sobbing at that point, tears making trails down her sweat-soaked face. She clenched her teeth together to keep them from chattering and she had to cough into her shoulder to prevent herself from choking on her sobs.

It was her fault that Ethan was like this. No one might've realized it yet but they would eventually and they would never look at her the same. Hell, Fate could never look at herself the same way. Ethan was one of the most important people in her life and to know that she was the one who nearly killed him… It broke her in ways that she couldn't even begin to describe. She would never be able to look at the small, weak boy in front of her the same way ever again. She was a monster and this had been the final push.

Akina had been awfully silent, taking in the sudden news, but then she let out a low breath.

"This wasn't on you, Fate." She told Fate sternly. "This wasn't your fault. You're not the one that pulled the trigger. You were trying to save everyone when Jonah got shot and you were just trying to defend Elaine when Zorina decided taking the eye of a teenager was a smart thing to do. But it was Jonah's choice and Ethan is alive, okay? You can't blame yourself for trying. You didn't know. Hell, no one could've known what Jackson and Zorina were doing except themselves. And your magic helped save Ethan—you didn't take him away." She then let out another sigh. "It wasn't Micah or Marcy, you know."

"Just because it's not my kid, that should make me feel better? What if it _**had**_ been Micah or Marcy?" Fate demanded fiercely, her eyes growing wider in her delirium. "What it had been them? How can you expect me to find solace in the fact that Ethan isn't mine? That I'm not feeling the same pain Terra would be if he was here right now? I am feeling the _**exact**_ same pain Terra would be feeling. I almost _**killed**_ a kid! I almost killed _**Terra's son**_ , who I _**promised**_ to _**protect**_!"

"What do you want me to say?" Akina shot back, both of them keeping their voices low to avoid drawing attention or waking up Marcy. "I'm telling you not to blame yourself because this wasn't on you. Jonah wasn't on you. Just because someone else's kid got hurt doesn't mean—"

"What if I was pregnant again, Akina?"

The question cut the tension like a knife and the teenage girl in front of Fate fell silent, her eyes widening slightly as her mouth fell ajar. Tears were streaming down Fate's face and she struggled to stop herself from falling into Akina's arms. She watched as Akina's eyes slowly made their way down to her stomach before finally returning to her face.

" _ **What**_?"

Fate swallowed.

"What if I was pregnant again?" She repeated her question. "I'm not. Of course I'm not. Not so soon after Micah and Marcy's stupid C-Section, but what if I was? Ethan is as important as Destiny, to the point where I need the both of them to help me more than anyone else in the Guild ever could. Ethan was the one person who never left me within the past 14 years, no matter how harsh that may sound. With him so fucking lifeless like this, it feels like he's gone on a job without me and I don't know if he's going to come back or not. I feel alone again. I don't know how I would raise children without him or Destiny. I still don't know how I'm going to raise Micah and Marcy." Fate took a breath before letting out a whimper. "I'm scared. I don't want to let anyone down…"

Bracing herself for the yelling, or the unexpected denial, Fate was surprised when Akina reached forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders and to pull her head to her chest. Her fingers massaged Fate's fur and she took a small breath.

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled, making Fate frown.

"What…?" She asked, her question muffled by Akina's jacket. She pulled away so she could look Akina in the eye when she answered.

"You're not going to let anyone down." Akina told her. "If you haven't let me down yet, then you'll never let anyone down. That's a promise. I won't let it happen."

"You can't prevent it." Fate said just as firmly. "Maybe I don't die versus Jackson or Zorina… Maybe I'm just not strong enough to protect Abygale, Micah and Marcy. Maybe… Maybe I'll lose them—"

"Don't." Akina declared sternly. "You don't get to talk like that."

Fate swallowed again.

"I never expected this…" She mumbled. "I didn't want to have a child, especially when their Father was someone I didn't love and it felt like he was forcing them upon me like he did with everything else. But I didn't have a choice at that point. I have to take care of Micah and Marcy even though it might kill me… And who would honestly want to raise a child in the world the way it is now? Where they might end up with a bullet to the eye, too?"

Akina slipped her hand into Fate's shaking one and squeezed it tightly, but not too tightly so she wouldn't hurt her.

"Don't you want to raise someone just like you? Don't you want to see what they'll grow up to look like, to sound like, who they'd be more like? Even if their Father is a monster, they have another Father who loves them and you equally and wants to be there. Don't you want to experience watching them learn to use Magic and to defend their friends and family like you do?" Akina asked softly. "Because Hell, I would."

Fate sent Akina a look.

"Why would you want this so bad?" She whispered.

"Well, I wouldn't want it in the same way you have it, but shit… You're strong as Hell, Fate. You and Ethan are some of the strongest people I know…" Akina stated. "And I'd want it because it would be the closest I would get to have a life. A normal life—Well, as normal as it can get. This is the place to start a life. This is the place to have a family and be someone worth being."

Fate swallowed once more, looking up at Akina to make 2 different blues collide: Icy Azure and Sapphire Blue. She was still a little uncertain and she could see that Akina was as well, but she had meant what she had said.

"How are we going to do this?" Fate questioned softly, referring to the upcoming war. It was inevitable and it scared her. It scared everyone.

Then, Akina smiled.

"The same way we do everything." She told Fate.

"Together."

* * *

 **A/N: So, what did you think of** _ **this monstrosity**_ **? How do you feel about Fate's guilt towards Jonah and Ethan? Is it reasonable?  
By the way, there'll be a little time jump in the next update. It's going to be a couple of weeks later, so not too far… but far enough to get the Major Arc going. Prepare yourself because there will be **_**big, important deaths**_ and _**important stuff for character development**_. **Also, a new character is coming in soon, so can I get some predictions?  
I can't wait. I'm destroying myself and you guys won't have any flying fucks to give after all of this. Love you all CX**


	47. Don't Let Go

A lot could happen in 2 weeks. A lot can build up just to fall apart. Fate knew that better than anyone.

Over the last 2 weeks, Ethan hadn't awoken. His breathing, however, got more noticeable and his pulse was getting easier to find again every day. It felt like they were rebuilding a community and that the Guild was stronger than before, and ready for what was to come. Everyone seemed braver, and harder, prepared to fight back against anything that tried to threaten it.

3 of the highest examples of strong Guild Members were Abygale, Micah and Marcy. All 3 were innocent children who had instantly been destroyed by the world, but they refused to stay down. Abygale kept going and pulled up the other 2 behind her, pulling them in front. She was certainly their older sister if she was to be anything and Fate couldn't help but be proud that in the moment Nate and Tanner got back, strangely with Jered trailing behind them, she pulled them out onto a job and, like an adult, explained what had happened. They could barely believe that it had happened.

Micah had finally gotten onto his own feet and became an independent walker, but still stayed by his sister out of comfort for the both of them. Marcy began to talk and smile again as soon as Ethan's condition improved, and when anyone would ask about it, she said that she was just happy because of the teddy bear Wendy had made her. It was beginner's work, anyone could see that, but Marcy loved him so much that very few others got to even touch the bear with a pinky finger. She was taking forever to come up with a name, saying that it took "love and care" to pick the right one. Needless to say, everyone left her alone.

However, the one thing that no one could get over was one single fact. _**Fate wouldn't leave Ethan's side for anything**_. She didn't care if she was hungry, dehydrated, smelt bad or started to ache from crashing in the infirmary with him. Right beside him, on the same bed. She barely moved and it killed everyone to see her like that. No one could get her to move. _**No one**_.

But Destiny hadn't tried to get her to move. He knew that she needed time and he didn't have the courage to pull her away from her partner in both of their current states, but once the 2 week milestone hit, everyone had decided that she at least needed to get everything done like an annual checkup. So Destiny talked to her… and she said she'd get around to it in a couple of hours, and in a couple of hours… Well, she made it to the infirmary bathroom to take a shower.

But it wasn't the kind that she should've taken.

* * *

 _ **The water was cold**_.

With her arms and legs tucked around her, Fate curled into a ball at the bottom of the bathtub in the infirmary. It was the only place she could hide. It was also the only place she could cry without showing someone that she was on the verge of losing her mind.

Fate was fully clothed in the tub, the water turning unearthly colors as it washed over her. Her fur, which was once a mixed gray, was now just a knotted, tangle of dark gray. The water slid off of her bracelet like it was nothing. It was nothing.

Ethan hadn't woken up.

A part of his face had been blasted away by the mere fragments of bullet and he was never going to be the same again. He would never be able to see through 2 eyes again. From now on, he would always be considered unlucky to survive such an injury. Still, she was thankful that he was alive. He had yet to wake up, but his stats were stable. He was surprisingly in better shape physically than many of them were mentally and emotionally.

The water from the shower had turned to ice a long time ago, but Fate didn't feel it. Her body was already numb. The only warmth she felt was from the tears that made their way down her face, gradually mixing in with the blood that washed down the drain from her hands.

She guessed it was safe to say that she had suffered her own relapse. Just last night she had felt so strong, having learned of all the things that had been going on while she was waiting for her partner to wake up, but now it was like her world was crashing down again and she couldn't find the strength to stand on her own 2 feet.

Her chest was being ripped apart by sobs and she felt like she could hardly breathe. With her knees to her chest, she laid her chin atop them and clenched her eyes shut as if that would stop the tears. It didn't. If anything, it made them worse because when she finally opened them again, it was like a dam was cracking open and the water was spraying forth once again.

Sometimes Fate just felt like letting her head slip under the water and forcing herself to suck it in. Just to let her lungs fill up with water to the point where she could no longer feel the burning and she just finally slipped away. It would be so simple. No one would realize that she was gone. They wouldn't hear her struggle as she fought with her brain over air because the shower was still going.

God, it would be so simple.

She just wasn't strong enough to do it. She was too cowardly. Hell, thinking of such an action was cowardly. She couldn't abandon the people out there in the Guild right now, even if she was sure that they'd get over her eventually. They might even be relieved to see her go. They would finally say that the tortured girl was at peace with all of her deceased friends and family members. She would be at peace with her good friend, Jonah Greene.

Suddenly, she heard the door to the bathroom open, but she didn't move. She had lost all feeling in everything. The water was so cold. Then, then light flickered on and she was blinded by light. Still, she didn't move. Finally, the curtain was pulled backwards and a figure lowered down beside the tub.

It was her Dad.

The only person she could handle seeing her cry other than her Mother and he had finally come. The only person other than her Mother who could make her feel anything at a time like that and it was him.

He cautiously reached around her to turn off the water and all was silent aside from out breaths; Tenshi's were slow and even whilst Fate's were jittery like she was gasping for air. She hadn't realized that she was trembling until she could hear it in the silence and she could still hear the dripping of water as it fell from her fur and clothes.

She could feel Tenshi's eyes piercing her body, but she couldn't meet them. She was too scared to look into his forest green eyes that he shared with her older brother. She didn't want to see what he was seeing. Just some poor, mangled girl that had let the world swallow her, but ultimately spit her back out when it decided that it didn't like the taste.

Then, Tenshi slowly reached forward so that his hand was resting at the back of her head, his fingers slowly massaging her temple. Forcing herself to look at ihm, she was met with the look of helplessness. He didn't know what to do with her. He didn't know what to say, what to think, or even how to react. But all she wanted was to feel his touch.

" _ **Daddy**_ …" Fate whimpered.

Perhaps all he needed was to hear his middle daughter's voice to know that she was still there because he rose back up to his feet, but instead of pulling her up like she had expected her to do, he merely crawled into the tub behind her and pulling her soaking body into his chest where she finally let go.

He held her tightly, trapping her arms at her sides and she sobbed into his chest. He stroked her wet fur softly and pressed his lips to her temple, but he never said a word because she didn't need to hear anything. She just needed to feel his arms around her. The same situation had happened once before when she was little, when she had just felt depressed and devoid of hope… but this time, she didn't even know if hope existed or if it was depression that she was feeling.

Tenshi rocked her back and forth until she finally stopped crying and all she did was stare mindlessly at the wall in front of her. In the quiet, she could hear the murmurs of discussion through the wall and she could only assume that half of the Guild had crammed their way into the infirmary once again, wondering about Ethan's well-being and possibly hers.

Suddenly, Tneshi's mouth was at her ear.

"You should go see him." He suggested. "Then, you should take an actual shower to clear the rest of your mind, and then we'll all come sit with you beside Ethan."

Fate froze and her heart skipped a beat.

"I can't…" She murmured in response.

"Why?" He questioned.

"Because it's killing me… I'm afraid of what I'll see."

"I think you'll be more scared if you don't see him. He's still asleep. We can all sit with him and wait for him to wake up, but you can't wait like you have been."

"Everyone out there will see me…"

"So?"

"I'm a monster.

"So are they."

There was nothing that Fate could say to that.

Very slowly, she allowed Tenshi to pull her to her feet and she had to grab onto his shoulders to prevent herself from falling. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest as she stepped out of the tub and cringed at the way her clothes rubbed against her when they were semi-dry. Then, after Tenshi made sure she was okay, they left the bathroom together, without looking at the mirror and without looking back.

It wasn't a surprise that a group was waiting to see if she was okay and they allowed their eyes to skim over her, but then they did something she didn't expect. Instead of smothering her, they appeared to sigh in relief before heading to the door. Tenshi lead her to Ethan's bed and as they stood a couple feet away from it, she looked up at him to find that he was staring hesitantly down at her.

"I'm okay…" She assured him softly, placing her hands over his, which were resting on her shoulders, before he nodded. He placed a small kiss on her forehead before letting go, slowly walking away from her.

Fate's heart was pounding frantically in her chest and she could feel her legs shaking. She still had the chance to turn away if she wanted to. Still, she knew that wasn't an option Taking one last breath, she stepped forward and climbed up onto the bed beside her partner. There was no going back.

The room was silent aside from the beating of both of their hearts. Fate lowered herself down to sit on the bed and grasped tightly at Ethan's hand. It felt like she was seeing him for the first time, when really she hadn't left his side for a near 2 whole weeks.

Ethan was alive. There was relief in that, but she needed to hear his voice. She needed the fee his hand around hers. She needed to see his hazel eyes again. She would only see one hazel eye from now on. The thought made her shiver, but she really just wanted him to call her "Partner" or to make a stupid joke again.

"Ethan?" She whispered, bringing his hand up close to her mouth so that she could kiss it. "It's Fate… I just… I just wanted you to know that I was here."

There was no response. The only movement she received was the faint rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Never had she been so thankful to see such a small change.

"Elaine is dead. She has been for 2 weeks now…" Fate informed. "Nate and Tanner are back. Micah has started to walk independently and Marcy has this new teddy bear that Wendy sowed for her, but she has yet to name "him". Zorina hasn't been found yet… but Akina promised to "give the bitch a pounding" on your behalf and mine, even though I told her that she doesn't really _**need**_ to. It's going to be quite the cleanup with the Council soon, though…and the Seekers of Nothing are bound to make a move soon. A drastic one at that and maybe… Maybe we can clean up together. You and I, we make a good team."

Fate had begun to cry again.

"I miss you…" She mumbled. "I'm so sorry… You were _**never**_ supposed to get hurt." She took a small breath. "Don't take this the wrong way because I'm still in love with Destiny and I always will be, but… I love you. And I don't remember the exact moment I fell in love with you. I just remember holding your hand one night and realizing how much it was going to hurt when I let go in the morning. But I don't want to let go because I need you. I need you more than you'll ever need me. But Ethan, if you love me… Don't let go. Please, don't let go."

Slowly, Fate placed his hand back down on the bed and used her free hand to wipe away the tears spilling down her cheeks. Her shoulders were trembling and she had to bite down on her lip to prevent another sob from escaping. If only the boy in front of her know how much he meant to her…

And perhaps he did.

The touch was as light as a feather, but it was there. The pressure was barely there, but it still made all the difference. Holding her breath, Fate allowed her gaze to stray towards Ethan's hand and her eyes widened at the sight of his fingers slowly curling around her hand. Slowly, his strength grew stronger and stronger to the point where he was in fact holding her hand.

Then, she heard the tiniest of breaths being released. Whipping her head to her right, her eyes landed on his face and very slowly, his single eyelid slid open and she was met with hazel again. His eye was clouded, but she knew that he saw her just as she saw him. Then, his lips were moving, slowly and inaudibly at first, but after several tries, 2 single words and a certain nickname left his lips and Fate froze.

" _ **I won't, Partner.**_ "

Then, just as quickly, Ethan's eye dropped to a close again, but his hand never loosened its hold. With her bottom lip quivering, Fate had to convince herself that what she had just heard wasn't an imagination. Ethan had spoken to her He was still there, still fighting to hold on. He wasn't going to let go.

The thought brought Fate to tears and despite the joy it brought her, she still couldn't ignore the seed of pain burrowed in the pit of her stomach. Why couldn't the world just let them be? Why couldn't they just live? Why was every moment a constant fight? Why, why, why?

She couldn't simply begin to fathom why or how she continued to breathe when the mere action of taking a single breath hurts more than any gunshot ever could.


	48. Janiyah Espenosa

Fate awoke to the soft touch of fingertips trailing up and down her spine, and she shivered, retreating under the blankets. From the corner of her eye, she could see through the window that the sun was just beginning to rise against the grayish sky and she let out a small groan before burying her face into her pillow. She then heard a soft chuckle from behind her.

"Good morning…" Destiny whispered, his lips right at her ear.

She turned around in his arms; their chests pressed up against each other, and looked up into his hazel green eyes that were still clouded over with sleep. She had returned to their shared apartment last night for a proper night of sleep since she knew that Ethan wouldn't slip away without her being there. It was relaxing.

"What time is it?" Fate asked curiously.

"Almost 6 AM." Destiny replied. Fate let out another small groan and rubbed at her eyes.

"We only have 3 more hours of sleep…" She complained groggily. Destiny leaned his head against hers.

"I didn't say we had to get up yet." He pointed out, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Good…" Fate grumbled, moving her head so that it was resting on his chest. "Now go back to bed—but keep rubbing my back—that feels good."

"You better not expect me to do this when we're old and married…" Destiny muttered.

"Is that supposed to be a proposal?" Fate asked teasingly, making Destiny roll his eyes before shaking his head.

"Not yet…"

A moment later he began to scratch her back; his hands warm against her cold skin. Fate pulled the blankets up to her chin and Destiny wound his free arm around her waist, trapping her to his chest. Closing her eyes, Fate was just about to let sleep take her once again when she suddenly heard the cocking of a gun through the wall, followed by a menacing voice in the hall.

" _ **What the Hell are you doing in our house**_?"

There was a sudden rush of pounding feet in the hall and Destiny instantly flew out of bed, grabbing and flinging on his flannel. Fate did the same, grabbing her own flannel and slipping it on over her tank top. They darted towards the door, rushing into the living room to see that Tristan was holding his gun to another Exceed's head.

That's right… Everyone had been mixing up where they slept so they could feel comfortable and safe. Looks like that wasn't going to happen very often because of this new intruder…

The Exceed wore an unzipped maroon sweater, showing off that she was wearing a beige or gray shirt underneath it, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of gray and white patterned shoes. Near the end of her tail, a dark silver bow was tied to it. She had black fur and her grayish green eyes were mesmerizing. The stranger's gaze immediately met Fate's and she smiled.

"Hi." She greeted, looking between Tristan, Destiny and Fate. "I'm Janiyah Espenosa."

Fate's eyes widened in surprise at the long name and tried to go over it in her head, but ultimately failed and didn't bother to try again. Suddenly, 2 doors opened on either end of the apartment. The first to enter was a group of others who had obviously sensed that something was wrong, but didn't know what from the confusion on their face. Then, another group of the others appeared from inside the apartment, having heard the cocking of the gun and Tristan's question, most likely.

"You can lower your gnu, pretty boy." Janiyah teased Tristan, who went a little pink and refused to put his gun down without a proper explanation from her. "I just want to talk to you. Well… Your best friend…"

When Janiyah made eye contact with Fate again, Fate couldn't help but shiver.

"Care for a chat, Ms. Konno?"

* * *

"Look, we got off to a bad start…" Janiyah started softly, not appreciating the gun pointing at her, but allowing everyone to keep their eyes on her as she sat at the end of the kitchen table, everyone else in the Team scattered around, some of them sitting and other standing. "But we're on the same side— _ **the side that's**_ _ **not**_ _ **with the Seekers of Nothing**_."

Everyone stiffened, not understanding how she could know so much. Who was this Janiyah Espenosa?

"Although, that's a bit of a lie… I work for them, but they barely turn to me. I'm here on my own decisions and it's to warn you." Janiyah stated, making all of them stiffen more. "Look, I don't like seeing people get hurt. I'm the information Exceed, alright?"

"What did you come to warn us about?" Fate asked, her voice more stiff and stern than she had planned to make it. Marcy was sitting in her lap while Micah sat in Destiny's, who sat close beside her.

"The Seekers of Nothing themselves, of course. Unless you want to be attacked in the dark without preparation, in which case I could just walk out that front door right now." Janiyah stated before folding her hands together, placing them in her lap. "They're planning to attack Magnolia soon, but they don't want to take you all out in one shot. They still need some of you and they're the ones who like to watch people suffer."

"We're well aware." Peter stated, keeping a close eye on his twin brother so he didn't pull the trigger too soon, or at all if not needed.

"If they're going to attack, then we need to evacuate the citizens. They don't deserve to get caught up in our mess." Ruri said. Even without nods from the others, they all knew that it was a necessary caution. "And rebuild afterwards…"

Everyone nearly groaned, but they held it back and it made Fate feel at ease for some reason. She was in the same mindset as everyone else.

"It's going to cost you something…"

Including Janiyah, who just caught everyone's attention. Fate spoke before anyone else could.

"It always costs us something. Like it or not, this is war and you better bet on your life that we'll fight until we drop. God help us if we push ourselves or die. At least we get to die together." Fate stated.

"And if you die alone?" Janiyah asked. For some reason, a grin found its way only Fate's face and it grew into a smirk as she answered.

"I can't die. Not yet at least… I have to raise 3 children and I have to get back at the woman who took my partner's eye. Until then, I'll keep going even if it's on fumes."

* * *

"Are you sure she should be fighting?" Destiny asked, ripping Fate from her thoughts.

From where she was sitting in the Guild, she turned to see Destiny conversing with none other than Mira.

"Well…" She trailed off, biting on her bottom lip a bit as she scanned her eyes over Fate in hopes that she wasn't looking. "Technically she shouldn't be… but we both know that she's stubborn and has many reasons to. Her partner is staying out of the fight; she's a Mother fighting for her children and… Well, this is mostly her fight. These people have ruined her life over and over again, and she's not going to just sit out. She wants to get back at them for Jonah, she wants to at least punch Jackson, she promised Jered that she was on board with Tristan to get his little sister back, and she's… She's almost like the leader in this fight."

"But you're supposed to be her doctor." Destiny pointed out. "You have a say in whether she stays out or not."

"She's her own doctor at this point, Destiny."

Fate smacked one of her hands against the table in front of her and frowned at the pair.

"Could yo both not talk about me like I'm not here?" Fate asked irritably.

Destiny rolled his eyes at her before turning his attention back to the tabletop.

"I just don't think you should be fighting." He stated the obvious. "That's all. You're… fragile like this."

"Like what, Destiny?" Fate asked, looking down at herself before looking back up at him. "Even Abygale is going to fight with us."

"You're not Abygale." Destiny replied swiftly. Fate frowned.

"Destiny…" Fate started. "I have to fight. I'm not sure what to tell you, but I'm not going to sit around whilst my _**family**_ is fighting out there."

Destiny pursed his lips and crossed over to his girlfriend.

"If you leave with the citizens, then I know that you're safe…" He mumbled. Fate shook her head.

"You don't know that." She mumbled. "No place will ever be entirely safe right now. We've witnessed it, alright? There is always danger, no matter where you go. Destiny, the only place I'll ever feel safe is when I'm fighting alongside people I care for."

"What about Micah and Marcy?"

Fate licked her lips and ran her fingers absentmindedly along the buttons of her flannel. Then, she turned her gaze towards another table where she could see Micah and Marcy seated on top of them. Marcy's eyes were locked on them and even from that distance; Fate was convinced that she knew they were talking about her and her brother.

"They're staying here." Fate told Destiny.

"What?" Destiny demanded, an angry expression working its way onto his face. "No way—that's not happening."

"Destiny, they want to stay."

"That doesn't mean you have to say yes! They're so young and inexperienced for Christ's sake. We're risking our lives out there, but even back here, lives are being risked and you want to have them hanging around with some of the others? You want to risk putting them in danger like that?"

"They don't want to lose us." Fate said sternly, her voice dropping to avoid being overheard by the others. "I won't put them through that. I can't do it. They won't even say goodbye to us. If they're leaving with the citizens, you tell them because I won't do it."

Destiny glanced towards the table where the twins were sitting and he let out a small sigh.

"If we let them stay here… Puttin them in a situation like this when they don't have to be just so that we don't hurt them… What does that make us?" He asked softly.

Fate could see the sadness written in his eyes as his heart was being pulled in multiple directions. She could see that he didn't want Micah and Marcy in danger, but the truth was that they didn't know where the danger was coming from. The world was filled with all types of pain, some harsher than others.

Reaching forward, Fate placed her hand on Destiny's forearm and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Parents…" She whispered.

He let out a slow sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose whilst clamping his eye shut.

"Being a parent is hard." He grumbled.

"No one ever said it was easy." Fate reminded him.

Destiny took a breath and nodded his head before slipping his hand into Fate's and interlacing their fingers.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked

"No." Fate admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "But I know that we're the safest when we're together—regardless of where we find ourselves in the end."

Destiny surprisingly cracked a small smile at that and reached up with his other hand to run his hand through Fate's fur. He let his hand rest at her cheek and she leaned into his touch, pressing her lips softly against his palm. Suddenly, a light sparked in his hazel green eyes and he smirked.

"Remember when I mentioned that I didn't sign up for you stubborn shit a week ago?" He asked.

Fate cocked her head to the side slyly and nodded, remembering the conversation between them from a week before very vividly.

"What about it?" Fate shot back.

"I still haven't signed up." He informed her. Fate scoffed and rolled her eyes whilst he merely chuckled as she shoved him in the chest.

"For better or for worse, right?" Fate teased.

And without waiting for a response, Fate turned to leave, but Destiny caught her waist and pulled her back to him, pressing his lips against her temple.

"I love you…" He whispered in her ear.

He pressed a sloppy kiss to her neck and she laughed as she pulled free.

"You better." Fate called in return, not bothering to look back at the expression written on his face. "You're stuck raising 3 children with me."

Destiny's chuckles only grew louder at that and Fate couldn't help but smile at the sound. Destiny's laugh was a beautiful sound that she savored whenever she got the chance to hear it. Hopefully that wouldn't be the last time she heard it…

* * *

 **A/N: What, 3 chapters of Stay in one day!? Pfffftttttt... XD  
In any case, Janiya wasn't the character I was talking about. I wasn't planning to have her in until the next book itself, but... She just fits into unexpected places *cough cough* *nudge nudge* *wink wink*  
Yah, but there's another new character. She's an Antagonist... For awhile... So look forward to her~!**


	49. Accept It

"Describe it." Akina ordered.

Fate found herself with everyone else in the Guild as they poured over a sketch that Janiyah was drawing. As much as she hated it, Fate knew that asking Janiyah for help would benefit everyone greatly and she knew that Janiyah wouldn't lie in situations like this one. The girl just gave it off; Fate was sure that everyone knew it. They needed every last detail to help give them the advantage and even though Fate didn't want to fight, she surely wasn't going to let her family fight alone.

Janiyah began drawing large, black squares on the piece of paper.

"They're going to be moving their main base here with Teleportation Magic, which is where they'll start their attack. I'm not sure where from, but since you're all going to be spreading out along with them, I don't think it matters. It's a rectangular building." Janiyah informed as she began drawing circles afterwards. "For some reason, it's got big satellites on it."

"Does it have any windows?" Akina prodded.

"I don't remember any." Janiyah replied swiftly, her gaze still locked on the paper as she jogged her memory for a deeper explanation of the building. "There's a front door and a back door. I think they made it so there's only 2 ways in and out."

"What about guards?" Rory asked. "Are there any outside in lookout towers and such?"

"I don't know about the towers, but they've always got at least 2 people outside." Janiyah answered.

"And you don't know how many people there are?" Ruri asked.

"No. I know there are at least 16 of them, but I also know that they'll have plenty more when they attack due to teaming up with other Dark Guilds." Janiyah explained as she began writing words to each of the buildings to help keep them separate.

"Have you been inside?" Namine asked. Janiyah nodded.

"Yah, but only once." Janiyah replied. "They had me load in supplies with some others this one time."

"Supplies…?" Miharu asked.

"You know… weapons, maps, etc. I'm not exactly too sure, but they're definitely ready for a lot of things."

Erza grabbed another piece of blank paper and slammed it down on the table so that it was covering Janiyah's previous drawing.

"What do you remember?" She inquired.

With the exterior written up, Janiyah set to work on drawing the inside. Fate could just vaguely make out the shape of 2 hallways with rooms when Janiyah began to speak again.

"There are a lot of narrow walkways." She informed. "And there's a staircase deeper into the building. I never got to go up, so I don't know what's up there… but who even says that a lot of you will make it in…"

"And you didn't see any other rooms?" Lucy questioned.

"No." Janiyah replied. "It's a big place." She pointed down at the paper at one of the main hallways. "This was the only place I saw. I didn't get to go very far into the building, but there is more."

"And the time you had to load something in, you brought it here?" Tanner asked, using her fingertip to skim across the small box in the makeshift hallway that read ' **pantry** '.

"Jesus Christ…" Janiyah rubbed at her chin as she took a breath. "Um, they were brought some weapons before and Izink took them down this other hallway." She drew an arrow as if rounding a corner in a hall. "Now, they must've done something with them because they didn't come back with them."

"Maybe a weapons locker?" Krystal suggested. "An armoury."

Janiyah nodded and viciously scribbled the words ' **armoury** ' on both ends of the hall because she couldn't be sure which direction it lay in. Meanwhile, Erza pursed her lips and leaned her full weight on the table.

"Okay." She started. "We get in there, secure the armoury, and that's how we end it."

Janiyah was still staring down reluctantly at the paper and Fate could see the worry in her eyes when she looked up at them.

"But you're still not entirely sure if they even have an armoury or where it is." She pointed out.

Henkou stood beside Fate, letting out a small breath that he had been holding.

"We've got a lot a good guesses, though." He replied. "I've done more with less."

"Like stealing my teddy bears in the middle of the night?" Fate asked jokingly, making him go a little pink.

"It was one time…" He muttered, making her smile a bit. "And no, I meant the time we got our Math teacher fired." That made her nod in understanding.

"You got the Math teacher fired?" Akuma asked her 2 eldest children, in which they both nodded. She hesitated for a moment. "You both worry me…"

"We'll just go in as soon as night falls after they've started attacking." Yuuki decided, making Akuma cross her arms over her chest as she stared her 3 children down. Janiyah shook her head.

"The guards won't be slacking." She stated. "Like I said, I think there's only 2 ways in and out, and there's no way to bust through that door without gaining attention from the rest of them."

"We don't need to." Tenshi replied swiftly with a wave of his hand. "They're going to open it for us and let us walk right in."

Akuma frowned.

"That's highly unlikely." She blurted out before she could stop herself. "If these people are capable of killing a kid, there's no way in Hell they're going to let us just walk in and do whatever we want." She threw her hands up aggressively in the air. "Dammit, Tenshi, _**we don't know anything about these people**_. Why are we even doing this?"

"We're getting a job done." He answered simply. "Think of it as sealing a trade."

"What the Hell do you mean by a trade!?" Akuma asked.

"It's a problem, Akuma. _**Our**_ problem." Tenshi replied. "What happens when they show up at the Guild doors, demanding that we do what they tell us to?"

"We don't know if they'll demand that!"

"But they will, and when they do, we'll have lost all of our advantages—we become slaves to the Seekers of Nothing. I won't have that. We're taking out a threat."

" _ **Then when one of us gets killed, it's on you and you alone.**_ "

Akuma spat the words in Tenshi's face, obviously seething with anger at that point. He fell silent at her words though and she was thankful for that. She was certain her words were branded into his mind now, but she could also tell that he wasn't going to give up on this war. Everyone else was staring in shock; shocked at her words, shocked at her thought process, shocked at her actions. Too bad that Akuma didn't care.

"There's nothing to discuss any further."

Everyone looked up at Makarov, who seemed to be thinking about the whole thing. His eyes opened with a sigh that escaped his lips and he stared at the ground as he spoke.

"There's no need to fight amongst ourselves, especially not when the real enemy is coming for us. As much as I would like to talk and make peace, these people cannot be spoken with. We have to fight because they've made an enemy out of our Guild… And making an enemy out of our Guild is the one thing that you _**never want to do**_." He stated darkly, closing his eyes again momentarily before landing his gaze on Akuma. "They're coming to us and we're fighting back, my child. There's nothing more we can do but go ahead at full force."

Akuma looked down in shame and nodded a little bit.

"I just… I don't want to see anyone else get hurt…" She mumbled softly, but everyone heard it and Tenshi pulled her into a hug.

"It'll be okay. We'll pull through in the end, we always do." He promised, making her nod again.

Fate remained there in silence as they talked through the rest of the plan and the further in detail it got, the sicker to her stomach she became. She wondered if it was just stress, but shook the thought off almost instantly. This wasn't stress—she's been through worse and come out just fine. She was fine. This wasn't going to slow her down.

She felt eyes on her back and from the corner of her eye; she could see that Destiny was watching her with concern evident in his eyes. He didn't know what was going on with everyone and neither did she. They didn't know what her Mother lashed out like that and honestly, Fate was sure that a part of her Mother didn't know why either. Typically, she was the type of person who didn't shy away from a fight, but now she seemed terrified. What had happened to her?

Before Fate was born, or even long before her older brother, when her parents had gone outside Arrine's walls in hopes of finding her Aunt Casmyr, her Mother was apparently determined to rush into wherever she needed to with guns blazing. She hadn't even known what kind of threat she could have been walking into, but she had never been afraid. Then again, her actions had caused her to get a bullet grazed across her head, but if anything, that only made her stronger. Perhaps that was just it. She didn't want anyone else to risk getting shot in the head like her, or like Ethan was. The kid lost an eye for Heaven's sake.

Perhaps she didn't want them to fear death, but then again… _**No one wanted anyone to die**_.

Death was a dangerous thing. It could happen in as little as a second or as long as a few days. It can be painless and it can be painful. I can be on your own terms or it could be decided by someone else. Cancer, old age, illness, hit by a car, drowning, beaten to death, a gunshot, a knife, _**anything**_. There were a thousand ways to die and Fate wasn't afraid to admit that she feared each and every one of them.

But she didn't have to like it. She just had to accept it.


	50. Gotta Be

The plan was officially in motion. Early that morning, at least a dozen of Fairy Tail Members had set off from the Guild to take their places around Magnolia where they would be stationed. At least until the attack actually took place.

Fate was surprised that she had actually managed to get that far, but she knew that she wouldn't get very far too soon after the attack started. She had reluctantly agreed to stay on the perimeter with Tristan, but she was prepared to run straight into the city or to the Guild at a moment's notice if something went wrong. She knew that he was, too. They were both concerned for their family.

However, every time Fate tried to talk to Tristan, he wouldn't reply. He was ignoring her and it was getting on her nerves with every second that ticked on. So she found herself leaning against a couple of boxes that happened to be lying around when a figure brushed past her, possibly trying to go unnoticed, but she wasn't going to have it. She flung a hand out and wrapped it around Tristan's arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"What?" He asked gruffly, keeping his eyes forward.

"How long are you going to ignore me and what for?" Fate wondered. Tristan was quiet for a moment before he replied.

"You shouldn't be out here…" He muttered. Fate couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Yah, well, I am." She snapped, dropping the nice and polite act she had been putting up for him. "I'm not out here for just you, Tristan—I'm out here for Destiny, for Abygale, for Micah, fro Marcy, for my Mom, for my Dad, for my siblings—Dammit, I'm out here for everyone in Arrine who either survived or didn't. I'm out here for Arrine itself." He stiffened slightly at the mention of their hometown. "Nothing is going to happen to me while I'm out here. You don't have to worry about me all the time."

"Then when am I supposed to worry about you, huh?" Tristan snarled, getting right up in her face. "When you're dead?"

Fate fell silent and pressed her lips together in a firm line. It was so dark out, due to the sun just starting to rise, that she couldn't read the expression on his face; all she could see was the fury reflecting in his dark eyes. Finally, snapping back, Fate placed a hand on Tristan's chest and shoved him away.

"Just go then…" Fate muttered. Tristan didn't budge. He was so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her neck and she shivered. He noticed that and just as he was about to shrug out of his jacket, Fate pushed him harder. "I don't want it." She declined. " _ **Go**_."

Fate turned away from him so that she was looking back out at the open forest, but she could still feel Tristan's presence behind her. Then, a jacket was tossed over her shoulders and she didn't have to look to know that it was Tristan's. She didn't touch it. She waited in silence for another 30 seconds before she finally heard his footsteps walking away from her, but not far since no one could leave their positions. When she glanced over her shoulder, he was sitting on a box at least 6 feet away from her. Maybe it was more, but she didn't really care as she returned her gaze to the forest in front of her.

Another gust of cool air blew over Fate and her eyes drifted back to Tristan's jacket. She reluctantly shrugged it on, unable to help herself when she relaxed at the scent of his clothing. The jacket was big on her and she had to roll up the sleeves just so she could see her hands. Still, it was warm and she couldn't help feeling bad for Tristan knowing that he was a little ways a ways from her, in the early morning at 7 AM, in a short-sleeved shirt. Sure, the sun was rising, but…

Fate hopped up onto the top of a box and waited quietly, letting out a long, soft sigh. All of the sudden, a pair of arms and legs wrapped around her from behind as someone joined her in sitting on the top of the box, their chin resting on her shoulder as they pulled her into their body to keep her warm. She knew it was Tristan and she wasn't planning on responding, but she found herself leaning into his warmth and resting her hands over his.

"I'm sorry…" He mumbled. His voice was muffled by her fur as he kissed her temple and Fate shook her head a little bit.

"It's okay… I'm sorry, too…" She apologized, making him shaking his head like she had.

"It's fine…"

Tristan wasn't one to apologize so soon, so Fate wondered why it took him under his normal week or so to apologize to her. Especially since it hadn't even been 5 minutes yet, and he was apologizing while being so close and friendly to her. Did he care that much…?

And then, out of nowhere, her ears became filled with the screeching and wailing of an alarm. A moment later, the forest to the West lit up with red lights and from a distance, Fate could see the compound that Janiyah had been talking about. The all too familiar sound of the shouts of war quickly followed, making Fate pull out of Tristan's arms in order to quickly get up, only waiting a couple of seconds for him to get up as well before she sprinted into the city. She knew that Tristan was following her because he was breathing heavily, scared and already tired from how fast Fate was running.

That was when they stopped for one moment only for a random Exceed to jump out of nowhere, tackling Tristan to the ground with a knife in hand, digging the weapon into his arm. He cried out in pain, struggling to fight against the other Exceed while Fate was frozen. The moment she snapped out of it, she grabbed a knife that she had been given last night from its sheath on her belt and darted forward. She pulled the attacking Exceed up and shoved him back before driving the blade into his chest as he was flung against a wall.

He let out his own cry of pain as Fate pulled the knife back out, only to drive it lower into his abdomen. Blood splattered her fingers as she pulled the knife out again and stepped back so that she was beside Tristan, shoving her knife back into its sheath as she started to heal his arm. The Exceed slumped against the wall, flinging his arm out wildly to grab at anything he could before he fell onto his side, clutching at his wounds to try and stop the bleeding as he coughed up blood.

Tristan stood up as quickly as he could without getting dizzy and slid an arm around Fate's body, throwing her in the direction they had been running in.

"Move!" He ordered.

It was officially a race to see which side would fall first and Fate wasn't about to slow down for anything as she ran through alleys, up streets and even across roads when needed. They were suddenly bombarded with bullets and Fate ducked down behind a small crate, gasping when a chuck of the wooden crate near her head was blasted away by a bullet.

"Fate, up ahead!" Tristan cried from his place around a corner, sliding his pistol to where she was.

Fate instantly grabbed it and risked a glance around the crate, holding up the gun and firing multiple shots with hopes that she would hit her target. She watched as the man at the end of the alley dropped to the ground with a shirt stained red. It was his blood and Fate knew it. Tristan then darted ahead of her, grabbing his gun from her hands, and Fate stood up and ran straight after him.

They stopped when they came across a house with an unlocked door, diving inside to take cover form the war going on out in the town. Tristan continued on in the house, looking around with his gun held high to make sure that they were the first ones who thought of going in there. The moment he rounded a corner into a room, Fate entered another one that he had already confirmed clear and took a moment to calm down. She was going to avoid any windows, but that's when something caught her attention from outside of it.

She leaned around the bed that was by the window and saw the Kardia Cathedral… and the sun. It was moving a little bit when it shouldn't have been and that was when the sun disappeared behind the Kardia Cathedral and didn't return from out behind it. No matter how many seconds passed, it didn't return. Fate let her guard down out of confusion of what just happened.

She turned around and was about to walk out of the room before she came face-to-face with another Exceed who wasn't Tristan or anyone that she knew. He had stained dark brown fur and cloudy gray eyes that were full of malice. Fate could see the knife dangling from his hands and she couldn't even cry out before he slapped a hand over her mouth and pushed her back into the room.

She tried to pull away and run, but as she faced the window, his arms wrapped around her and stopped her from running, holding her too close to his body for comfort. Her eyes landed on the window and she noticed that darkness was staining the sky once again, but it wasn't natural.

And she had seen all of it coming in her weird dream.

She tumbled to the floor as his fist connected with her face.

"Tristan!" Fate cried out.

"Shut up!" The Exceed spat, delivering a kick to her side.

Fate yelped in pain, curling in on herself, and she could no longer feel her knife within its sheath and couldn't see it within her reach. In fact, the Exceed was the only thing she could see, smell and touch. He was everywhere, towering over her, a foot on her stomach so he could hold her to the ground. It was only then that she realized he had a gun in his hand and his finger around the trigger.

She immediately froze, staring into the eyes of death and she struggled to pull herself free. She kicked her legs up in desperate attempt to hit his knees, but that large man wouldn't budge. He was incredibly tall and she could feel the weight of his body crushing down on her ribs. She cried out again, gritting her teeth to avoid being heard by other enemies. The Exceed above her let out a chuckle.

"What're you doing, little girl?" He asked. "Were you and your friends actually trying to fight back?"

Fate remained silent, staring up into his snakelike eyes.

"Well, you don't get to take our shit." The Exceed spat. "We work hard for this shit and because you think you can take it, that means you have to pay. Now, I don't like killing little girls, but I have to keep Xerum happy."

He aimed the gun between the center of Fate's eyes, but before he could do anything else, an arm wrapped around the man's shoulder and a knife was dragged across his throat. The Exceed's eyes rolled back into his head and the blood began to drip down onto Fate. She frantically pulled herself away before his body could crush her and looked up to see that her rescuer was Tristan.

Only he wasn't staring back at her. He was glaring down at the Exceed with pure disgust and a bloody knife dangled from his hand. Blood also splattered his cheeks and fingertips, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest.

Fate stared at Tristan nervously, preparing for an outburst or some type of sign of distress over what he had just done, but he was deadly silent. He merely wiped the blood from the knife onto the dead man's shirt and crossed over to her. Holding out a hand, he lifted her up and allowed his eyes to skim over her.

"Are you hurt?" He demanded. Fate shook her head.

"I'm okay…" Fate replied. When Tristan wouldn't meet his gaze, she grabbed onto the edge of his shirt to keep him from pulling away. "Hey…" She let out in a whisper. "Are _**you**_ okay?"

Tristan nodded and turned away from his best friend as he spoke. His voice was so low and incredibly cold that it sent chills up and down Fate's spine.

" _ **Gotta be**_."


	51. Take Care of Her: Adios to Aubree

Tanner and Jered were polar opposites, and Nate could tell that Jered was doing his best to stay out of her fur. He could be doing absolutely nothing and she'd find a reason to insult him. Jered could _**cough**_ and Tanner would act like the world was ending. It could've been, honestly. Still, as long as Jered ignored Tanner, hopefully she would ignore him. Nate was sure that the last thing Jered wanted at this point was a bullet in his own ass when he was rushing to save his little sister.

Nate had to say that he was surprised when Tanner passed Jered a gun, even if it was just a pistol.

"You better know how to shoot." Tanner said before continuing to run ahead of the 2 boys, running through the hallways of the compound.

With only footsteps to guide them, the 3 Exceeds sprinted through the halls, shooting in all directions and watching bodies of their enemies fall just as quickly, hoping that there was still a little girl to save wherever Ellena was.

Again, this would typically be a flight or fight response and the only reason that Jered was running towards a fight rather than away was because of Ellena. His little sister was trapped in a compound under attack by both sides. If something happened to her and he lived while she didn't, he wouldn't be able to go on. He had to save her.

Raising his own pistol, Nate fired 2 shots before he could even comprehend it. Both Humans who had been running towards them dropped to the ground without as much as a groan, both of their heads blasted away to nothing by the bullets. Sweat was dripping into his eyes at that point and he could barely see because his glasses kept slipping. Up ahead, he could see multiple silhouettes of humans darting back and forth across the halls and open rooms.

Instantly, Nate turned his attention towards a familiar voice to see Abygale running down a hall, being chased down by another Exceed. Before he even had time to react, the Exceed wrapped his arms around Abygale's small body, dragging her to the ground. She let out a bloodcurdling shriek, trying to fight off his arms as he held up a knife and brought it down to stab her. Thankfully, Nate reacted.

He charged at the Exceed and grabbed his own knife, raising it into the air before bringing it back down towards the Exceed's skull, stabbing it clean before pulling it out. Blood sprayed onto him and Abygale, who was whimpering in fear and frantically trying to crawl away from the dead enemy. Then, just as Nate put away his knife, the small girl had leaped up to him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Nate wrapped his arms around her like a vise, picking her up and sprinting after Tanner and Jered, who had paused not too far ahead to wait for him.

* * *

The air was filled with the sound of gunshots, the hitting of shoes and feet against concrete, and the coppery smell of blood. It took everything for Cass not gag.

She was seated on a crate, awaiting the next round of enemies to come through her position that she shared with James and Olivia. They were probably the only ones who didn't leave their position because from what Cass could feel, so much more was happening than she had expected.

James had wanted to help despite how weak his Magic was, but also quickly discovered how much it hurt. Only 20 minutes in and he could feel his lower back beginning to ache, and his arms starting to burn. His flimsy t-shirt was dripping from sweat, and blood, and continuously sticking to his body uncomfortable ways. He was leaning against the wall of a building, running his eyes along the cracks in the ground. He was thankful for Cass and Olivia's presences or he might've gone insane by then. It was a war zone, after all.

He understood that, especially when fighting against the next wave of enemies. Him, Olivia and Cass were spread out along the street and were taking down every person who tried to get past them nearly with ease. That's when Cass tripped, letting out a piercing scream as she fell to the ground, probably having twisted her ankle, and the Exceed she was fighting dove in to kill her. Olivia immediately threw herself at him, tackling him into the ground and driving a knife into his throat.

Just as James thought that they had it handled, he realized that he had let his own guard down and he was brought back with a sharp pain in his stomach before blood started to pour out of his mouth every time he even tried to swallow at all, and he found himself fighting off the Exceed that had stabbed him. As soon as Olivia looked up, she was running with her knife held high, digging into that same Exceed's head before pulling it out, not caring about the blood the splattered all over her.

James started to cough, trying to get the blood clogging his throat out of his mouth due to the horrid taste and he started to feel weak before he suddenly found himself collapsing to the ground. Olivia and Cass called out to him and he could hear Cass dragging herself across the ground as Olivia held him, his head in her lap as he coughed blood onto her. Her hands were everywhere, screaming and crying and trying to help him, but he couldn't be helped… and for some reason, he was okay with it.

Olivia turned him onto his back and suddenly stopped upon seeing his smile, not to mention his tears. He looked… peaceful. It made her angry at him.

"You can't leave me! Not after Jonah! I don't have anything beyond your death, James, please…" She pleaded, reaching for the knife, but he just grabbed her hand. And he held it.

"You have Cass… You have Fate…" He promised, his voice barely audible. Olivia's tears were hitting his face and joining his, but he just smiled up at her. "Remember what Jonah told us…? _There is always going to be something that threatens you, but your job is to prove that you are tougher, and braver than the thing trying to hurt you_ … You have to be brave right now, Olivia…That's your job…"

Olivia shook her head.

"I can't live without you! Please, keep fighting!" Olivia yelled at him, but he shook his head. He could barely breathe. His lungs were past the point of being on fire and he barely felt the pain of the knife in his abdomen anymore.

"This is where my fight ends…" He whispered, his grip on her hand loosening as he lost all feeling, not knowing if he was breathing or not… but he had to at least tell Olivia on more thing. "I…" He started coughing again, but he caught the little bit of breath he had. "Love you… Olivia… Keep going, please…"

And that was all he could manage to say towards his best friend, unable to keep looking at her crying form. Somehow, his eyes found Cass' horrified ones and for some reason, he had the power to smile.

"Take care of her…"

That's where Cass broke, watching as James' eyes slid closed and as his chest stopped rising and falling with his breath. Olivia let it all go, leaning over James' body and resting her head against his as she cried just as much as she did during and after Jonah's death. Olivia Edeline had lost both of her best friends to the Seekers of Nothing…

* * *

Jered was broken. His little sister wouldn't open her eyes or respond to his calls. He had found her, but she appeared to be in a coma-like state. She was breathing, he knew that for sure, but he wanted to hear her voice. He wanted her to open her eyes… but she just wouldn't. He was told to grab her so that they could run and get out as soon as possible, causing him to reluctantly nod and pick up Ellena, fleeing the room behind the others. Nate was still holding Abygale, so Tanner was the one who was fighting off the remaining Seekers as they escaped.

That was when Erza rounded the corner, scaring the living Hell out of them.

"Are you all okay? Did you get Ellena?" She demanded, making them nod in reply to both questions. "We're the last ones in hear besides our enemies and they strategically placed a bomb in the armoury. We have to leave now. We only have 5 minutes. I'm going out the opposite direction, you guys head out the front."

They all nodded and the S-Class Mage went in the direction they came from, allowing them to continue running in the direction they had been running in. No matter how weak they felt or their legs got, they kept going and didn't stop. 5 minutes wasn't much, so they had to make it count.

The door was in sight and Nate rushed out of it, holding it open for the others, but then something unexpected happened. An Exceed jumped out of nowhere, going straight for Jered and Ellena. He put up his arm to protect her, but Tanner suddenly rushed in front of them and grabbed the Exceed, throwing him to the ground. They quickly rushed out, but Tanner was tripped by the Exceed. She got to her feet as quickly as she could and kept the Exceed at bay without the others noticing, not until they were behind crates and realized that she wasn't there.

Nate whipped around and saw Tanner drive her knife into the Exceed's throat, blood splattering and sliding down her dominant hand. As the Exceed dropped and Tanner turned around, the look in her eyes made one thing run through Nate's head.

 _ **30 more seconds…**_

He screamed and tried to run to her, but Jered suddenly grabbed him, wrapping his arms around the older boy and holding him with tears in his eyes. He apologized and made eye contact with Tanner, and surprisingly… she smiled at him. She gave him a small nod and he could only nod back, unable to look away. Then she looked at Nate, and he continued to cry his eyes out as he looked at her. She nodded at him, telling him that it was okay. She wouldn't get far, but it was okay. She had saved her best friend, her pal and a little girl… / _ **It was okay**_ /…

That's when she mouthed something, tears slipping out of her eyes and sliding down her cheeks as she did so. Wait… Tanner was crying… The girl who Nate thought considered every living being as her dinner and was apart of the Guild just for the kick of it was crying because she was going to die? She… She was never afraid of death, was she?

 _ **'Aubree…'**_

Nate's eyes widened. Aubree Tanner. That was her actual full name… and he found out only to lose her. Aubree's hand lifted from beside her and moved in little actions. It was a wave. She was saying goodbye.

 _ **'I love you all…'**_

And then the building exploded… And Aubree Tanner went with it.


	52. Broken

Fate and Tristan speed walked down a deserted road in silence, the disappearance of the sun already chilling them to the bone. The cold air burned Fate's lungs, but she fought against it as she brought her jacket and flannel closer to herself.

"Some of the others have to be around here somewhere." She said, more as encouragement to herself than to Tristan. "We can't catch a break at this point, though…"

Tristan slowed to a stop, turning to face her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Fate took a moment.

"No." She answered with a sigh. "We just can't catch a break and odds are that after this whole war, we'll either be dead or unable to sleep. _**I'll**_ probably be dead, I mean… Look at my fucking condition! I'm just so stubborn to the point where I came out here to fight without even thinking! I just wanted to help, but I'm slowing you down!"

"You won't die." Tristan stated firmly. "I won't let that happen, and you are _**not**_ slowing me down. You are helping."

Fate's chest was beginning to burn and her vision blurred before she realized that she begun to cry. She sucked in deep breaths, ignoring the pain that was circling throughout her side and turned to Tristan, who just walked the couple of steps back to her and held his arms out to her. She immediately fell into them and buried her face in his shoulder, letting the tears cascade down her cheeks. She felt Tristan's hand running along her back soothingly and she opened her mouth.

"He's dead…" She sobbed.

"Who…?" Tristan asked softly.

"Destiny…" She cried, holding tightly onto Tristan as she begun to imagine Destiny in her mind; his face deathly pale and his once hazel green eyes were open but not seeing. It had been too long for her. She couldn't do this without him. She couldn't be there without him.

Finally, Tristan pulled back and placed his hands firmly on Fate's shoulders, staring at her intently in the eye.

"Stop that, Fate." He said sternly. "Destiny is not dead. You can't believe that."

"I don't know what to believe anymore. We don't know if anyone else is still alive…" Fate murmured. She had lost all hope and didn't have a beacon of light to hold her up. She was falling deeper and deeper into the deep abyss that was the darkness of this world.

"Destiny is alive." Tristan reassured her. "I can guarantee it. Destiny's strong and he knows how to survive. He's out there somewhere and he's looking for you, and we're going to find him because not only does he have you, but he has his family. He has his twin sister and _**his**_ children, alright?"

"I hope so…" She whispered.

Suddenly, there was the loud cocking of a gun and from right behind Tristan and a voice quickly followed.

"Oh, dearie me…" The voice growled.

Fate immediately tensed and Tristan turned around, looking upon an Exceed that stood in front of them with a pistol aimed straight at Tristan's head. Fate quickly lifted her arms, frantically searching for Tristan's gun when she felt the cold metal of a gun barrel being placed right at the back of her skull. She froze and Tristan's gun was ripped from his waistband and thrown harshly across the road, away from the both of them.

Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she watched 5 more men spill from the trees around us, along with some of their family members, making Fate's breath hitch in her throat. One man held her at gunpoint, another held Peter, another held Sage, another held Jo, and lastly the one who held Tristan gave a sick chuckle as he put his mouth right next to his ear.

"You screwed up, asshole." The Exceed spat at Tristan. "You hear me? _**You screwed up.**_ "

Fate held her hands up slightly.

"What the Hell do you want?" She demanded, her voice strong and cold even in the face of death. Even after bursting into tears, she couldn't cry on her way to Nirvana.

"Shut up!" The Exceed behind her yelled, bashing the front of his gun into her head. She whimpered slightly, but other than that, she remained strong and her eyes never left Tristan's.

"Today is a day of reckoning, sir." The Exceed said to Tristan. "Restitution: a balancing of the whole damn universe. Shit… and I was thinking of turning in for the night on New Year's Eve." The Exceed laughed. "Now, who's gonna count the ball dropper with me, huh? 10 Mississippi… 9 Mississippi… 8 Mississippi…"

Fate watched his finger wrap tightly around the trigger and she couldn't bear to watch Tristan be killed right in front of her. Not in front of his own siblings.

"Please, don't do this…" Fate pleaded. "I'll do anything, just please…"

The Exceed completely ignored her and continued his countdown.

"7 Mississippi… 6 Mis—"

" _ **Rick**_!" A voice screamed from somewhere from behind the group.

Fate's heart gave a sudden flutter as recognization filled her mind. She knew that voice. She knew that voice anywhere. Tears instantly began to fill her eyes as she glanced upwards to see a figure moving forward and into view, the gun in his hand held up ever so slightly as if he was unsure of whether he should shoot or not. His eyes fell on her and there was no way Fate could mistake the miracle in front of me.

It was Destiny. _ **Destiny was there**_.

Destiny Allyn was there in the flesh and blood, merely 3 feet away. His eyes were entirely on her and she was sure she was the same because he was literally all she could see anymore. Just a couple of minutes ago she had been crying, believing him to be dead, and now he was there, perfectly alive and well. The only question she could ask was why he knew the horrible people surrounding her.

The Exceed holding Tristan hostage, Rick, had stopped his countdown and was glaring intently at Destiny.

"You're stopping me on 6, Zachary." He muttered in annoyance. Did Destiny know them when he was little or something?

Destiny kept his eyes on her for a split second longer before he allowed his gaze to sweep over Tristan, Peter, Jo and Sage. He obviously had been absent during their little kidnapping session.

"Just hold up." He insisted.

"That guy and this girl…" The Exceed from behind Fate started, gripping her fur tightly in his fingers. "… Killed Robert, so we got nothin' to talk about."

"The thing about nowadays is we got nothin' but time…" Rick corrected with a sigh. "Well, say your piece, Zachary."

Destiny swallowed slowly.

"These people, you're gonna let them go." He stated firmly. "These are good people."

Rick stared blankly at Destiny for a minute and by the expression on his face, Fate knew that he didn't buy a thing of what Destiny had said for a second.

"Now, I think Robert would disagree with you on that." He replied. "I'll, of course, have to speak for him and all because your _**friends**_ here slit his throat in a bedroom."

"He tried to kill us!" Fate insisted, unable to keep her mouth shut any longer. "That man _**deserved**_ it! You—"

"Shut up!" The Exceed from behind her screamed and raised his hand to strike her again, but then a loud growl came from Destiny.

"You keep your hands _**off of her**_!" He snarled, rising his gun up. The man from behind Fate cackled.

"Or what?" He snapped.

"I'll rip your head off." Destiny spat.

The man continued to laugh and Destiny took a step forward, but then Rick held up a hand while keeping the other firmly at Tristan's head with the pistol.

"Hey." He warned. "Larvy, just shut the Hell up. Zachary is speaking his part."

The Exceed, Larvy, fell silent behind Fate and then Destiny turned to Rick.

"Look, you want blood, I get it." He said softly. Destiny suddenly dropped his gun and held up his hands cautiously, never breaking eye contact with Rick. "Take it from me, man. Just don't hurt them. C'mon."

"Des—" Fate tried again, but Larvy yanked her head back, putting his hand over her mouth and she fell silent, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

Rick stared at Destiny in what could only be anger and confusion.

"These people killed one of my men." He said, his voice growing colder with each word. "You say they're good people. See, now that right there is a _**lie**_." Fate watched as Destiny's hands fell to his sides and his face suddenly filled with fear and shock. "It's a lie, Zachary!" Rick yelled before turning to the remainder of his men who weren't holding one of the others hostage. "Teach him, fellas. Teach him all the way."

"No!" Fate screamed in alarm.

She watched as a man approached Destiny and drove the butt of their rifle into his stomach. He immediately dropped to his knees, groaning and grunting in pain as 2 men brutally began to beat him. Fate jerked and pulled against Larvy, tears streaming down her face as she felt herself begin to boil with anger.

"Let him go!" She screeched. "I'll kill you all! Let him go!"

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she watched as the man holding Sage pulled on her harshly and held her knife to her throat. Tristan instantly began to shove against Rick, but he couldn't do much with a gun pressed to his head.

"You leave her be!" Tristan growled protectively. "Listen, it was just me. It was just _**me**_!"

"See, now that's right." Rick agreed. "That's not some damn lie. Look, we can settle this. We're reasonable men. First, we're gonna beat Zachary to death. Then, we'll have the girls—"

Fate's breath hitched at that and she started to thrash around more. Sage and Jo didn't deserve that. She didn't even deserve that.

"Then the boy—"

Not Peter either…

"And then I'm gonna shoot you. Then, we'll be square." Rick stated.

Fate watched as the man holding Sage shoved her down to the ground and leaped on top of her, the knife inches from the girl's face.

"Don't hurt her!" Fate pleaded. "She's just a child! Please!"

Larvy suddenly yanked her closer to him.

"In a hurry to get yours…?" He hissed in her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine.

She drove her elbow into the Exceed's torso, but it did no use.

"Let me go!" She screamed. She watched as one of the men held Destiny against a wall while the other repeatedly brought his fist across Destiny's face before letting him drop to the ground in a heap. She yanked against Larvy, a pain burning in her abdomen like never before, but she couldn't stop. She needed to save Destiny and Sage. " _ **Let me go**_!"

And with that, Fate brought her fist as harshly as she could across Larvy's face and it stunned him long enough to get herself free. She shoved the Exceed to the ground and started towards Tristan's gun which was only a few more feet away. Suddenly though, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and a hand gripped right where her C-Section wound was. She screamed in pain as she dropped to the ground and almost immediately Larvy had climbed on top of her, holding her to the ground. She kicked and shoved, trying to get out from underneath him, but he was strong.

"Stop your squirming." He hissed in her face.

"Get off of me!" Fate screamed, fighting against the man on top of her.

Larvy suddenly managed to get a hold of both of her arms in one of his hands and then she felt his other free hand begin to travel its way down to her waistband. She felt his fingers fumble with the end of it and she instantly began to panic as she knew what was to come next. She kicked and brought her knees up, but none of it seemed to make any affect against Larvy.

"The more you move, the more it hurts!" Larvy spat, putting his face down right by hers. Suddenly, she felt her skirt become loose and Larvy laughed. "There we go. Lie still, now."

Before she could even comprehend it, Larvy had flipped her over onto her stomach so her face was pressed into the hard concrete. One of his hands was pressed firmly in the center of her back while the other began pulling her skirt and leggings down even more. She struggled and squirmed, trying to pull herself free, but it was no use. Her head was spinning and she could no longer breathe. She could feel the blood seeping through her shirt and she let out a sob.

"Destiny!" Fate screamed into the open sky. There was no response at first, but when it finally came, it was hoarse and muffled.

"F-Fate…" Destiny coughed back in reply.

Just hearing his voice was enough relief to know that he was alive. She could also hear Sage's whimpering cries from somewhere far away and then a gunshot filled the sky, causing Larvy to cease what he was doing. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Tristan and Rick were up on their feet, but it looked like Rick had Tristan trapped in what looked like a bear hug.

"What the Hell are you gonna do now, sport?" Rick asked.

And that's when everything seemed to stand still. Fate watched as Tristan hauled his head back and then drove his face into Rick's neck, and she could hear the sickening crunch of Tristan ripping Rick's throat out with his teeth. Blood began to spray everywhere and all she could hear was the gurgling of Rick now choking on his own blood as he dropped to the ground in a heap.

All of Rick's men had fallen silent, each of them watching as their leader died and out of all of us, Peter was the first to react. He immediately ripped the gun out of his captor's hand and shot him in the head with a single shot. He then turned towards Destiny's beaters and while Larvy was stunned, Fate flung her arm out, her fingers wrapping around Tristan's pistol that had been cast aside and she brought it up to Larvy's skull, whacking him across the face with it.

Larvy immediately rolled off of her and he continued to groan, but she wasn't going to stop until he was dead. She gripped the pistol tightly in her hands, but instead of shooting him, she was going to watch him die slowly. She held the pistol up and began bringing it down as hard as she could against Larvy's face, blood slowly beginning to fly up and hit her own face. The sound of metal hitting flesh made her cringe, but the satisfaction of watching that man die slowly overcame it. Her entire body was trembling in anger and loud sobs were escaping her mouth, but she couldn't stop them. That man deserved to die for what he tried to do.

After several seconds of a harsh beating, Fate could barely recognize Larvy's face underneath all the blood and swollen bruises, and all she could hear were the faint gasps of breath. Finally, when she reached her level of gratitude, she turned the pistol around, placed the barrel between Larvy's eyes and pulled the trigger, silencing the Devil for good.

She sat on top of Larvy for a moment longer, trying to regain her breath as she let the bloody pistol slip from her hands. She let her head drop and tears continued to fall down her face when she suddenly felt a new pair of arms wrap around her waist, and she immediately reacted defensively.

"Let me go!" She screamed, blindly driving her fists into the Exceed's chest.

"Hey, hey, hey…" Destiny repeated softly, his arms securing themselves around her. She felt his hands slide up to her face to where he was cupping it in his hands and he pulled her into his lap. "It's okay. I'm right here, Fate. You're safe now. It's okay, sweetheart."

Fate stared at Destiny through tear-filled eyes and let herself collapse into his chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed it over and over again, breathing in his scent that she had missed so much, even if it was stained with sweat and blood. Destiny ran his hands frantically over her back, trying to calm her down and she finally pulled back, placing one of her hands on one of his swollen cheeks.

"I love you." She sobbed. "Keep that in mind for the end of this war. I just need you with me... please..."

Both happiness and sadness filled Destiny's expression as he pulled her close again and held her tightly, unable to let her go. He leaned his head against hers and she let her lips run softly across his before she let her face drop back down into the crook of his neck. Suddenly a loud, ear-piercing scream filled the sky, causing both Destiny and Fate to whip their heads up and towards the sound.

First, Fate's eyes fell on Sage who was now cradled tightly in both Peter and Jo's embraces, but they were staring at something in pure shock and horror ahead of them. Fate let her eyes follow their gaze and that's when they landed on Tristan who plunged a knife into the chest of Sage's captor and was now dragging it down through his torso slowly as blood flew everywhere.

Destiny readjusted her slightly to where she was practically cradled in his arms as well, but she could barely acknowledge it now that she was watching Tristan murder a man. Again… Before that day, something that brutal would have haunted her nightmares for weeks on end, but now it didn't even affect her. In fact, she _**liked**_ knowing that those men died horrible, brutal deaths. She liked the way Larvy had gone out. She liked the way Rick had gone out. She liked the way that man was dying right then and there.

She stared down at her bloody hands and then caught a brief glimpse of herself in a shattered piece of glass on the road below. Her fur was drenched in sweat and blood was smeared all over her face and nearly her upper body. She swallowed slowly as she stared over at Tristan who was now staring down at the man's dead body. It was definitely safe to say that after that last half hour, Tristan had broken… but as of right in that moment, he was no longer the only one.

Fate was broken, too.


	53. Pulling the Trigger

Fate was jostled awake by the shaking of someone. She rose her head up groggily and then was suddenly pulled to her feet by Tristan, being pulled along the road. She looked around to see that Destin wasn't with her because he was pushing Sage under a cart, following under it straight after. Peter and Jo were doing the same and as quickly as she was pulled up, she was pushed down and under a cart, being followed by Tristan. They were so close together that Fate could practically feel his heart pounding in his rib cage because his side was pressed up against mine.

She looked up, wondering what the Hell was happening and her breath left her body. A herd up Hebi's was walking up the road, right towards them. Fate couldn't help the sob of terror that escaped her lips. Tristan noticed it and without stopping, reached a hand out and placed it over her mouth, getting even closer to her.

"It'll be alright…" He whispered in her ear, his voice nearly inaudible. "Be quiet."

Blinking back tears, Fate nodded frantically, but couldn't take her eyes off Destiny. He was nearly straight over Sage, both hands over her mouth as she sobbed inaudibly. His lower lip was trapped between his teeth so he could keep himself quiet, and Fate could see the fear in his eyes.

And finally, the Hebi's began moving past them and Fate had to hold her breath to avoid being heard. Dozens of what sounded like feet, but weren't, moved past them and she grimaced at the sight of the black creatures.

The process was long and slow as they passed. It was like watching a hot balloon air move. It seemed to take ages. Fate's body was drenched in sweat and her heart was pounding a mile a minute in her chest. At any moment, the wind could blow, giving off their scent and they were all done for. A single Hebi might get a little too curious and discover them all. So many things could go wrong.

But so many things could still go right. They could stay hidden and silent. The Hebi's would move on and they'd never see them again. They could still survive this. They could still make it through this war alive. Tristan's warm hand was still pressed over her mouth and she leaned into his touch as it was the only thing capable of giving her comfort in a time like right then and there.

Then, after what seemed like forever, the wave of Hebi's stopped. Fate hesitantly looked above her and below her in search of any loners, but all was quiet. You could no longer hear the faint moan or growl of one that was still too close. They were gone.

Fate looked up slowly and her eyes met with Destiny's. He was on his back, his chest flying up and down in relief. Their gazes locked for a long time after that. She couldn't look away from his beautiful, hazel green eyes that reminded her of the forests that she loved.

Slowly and cautiously, Sage was the first to pull herself from underneath the cart, but before she could even get onto her knees, a Hebi appeared from around a corner and shot down at her. The small girl shrieked in terror, trying to climb back underneath the cart, but it was no use. She had already been discovered.

Another Hebi showed up after that and by then, Sage had pulled herself from underneath the cart and had climbed to her feet. She had tears pouring from her eyes and Peter was trying to scream, but Jo held him back. From underneath the cart, Fate watched in panic as the small girl leaped over curb before tumbling down onto the sidewalk, unable to pull herself back up.

Beside Fate, Tristan rolled out from underneath the cart.

" _ **Tristan, no**_!" Fate cried frantically, smacking her head on the bottom of the cart as she tried to pull herself up after him. " _ **Stop**_!"

She rolled out after him and joined Tristan's side as he screamed, attracting the Hebi's attentions. He continued to scream until they moved away from Sage, who was scooped up into Destiny's arms as he watched in horror as the girl he loved and her best friend distracted the deadly creatures to save a little girl.

That's when Tristan took off, Fate following him as fast as she could in her condition… and the Hebi's followed like tomorrow didn't exist. They used buildings as leverage, ran, jumped, god dammit, _**they crawled if needed**_.

They just went after the 2 Exceeds, who couldn't stop for even a second.

* * *

When Tristan hit the ground, Fate felt hopeless and lost. Even when he stood again, continuing to run, she knew that he couldn't have gotten off completely free of consequence. He turned a sharp corner, making it hard for the Hebi's to follow them. Hell, it was hard for Fate to follow him with that turn. Then again, she was also injured.

So when Tristan dashed inside of a house, shutting the door behind them and running down to the basement, Fate accidentally tripped on the stairs and went straight into Tristan, taking the both of them down harshly. Fate let out a piercing scream, but Tristan slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it before she started to sob. He picked her up bridal style and accidentally threw her own the hard couch that luckily was there, checking around to make sure that all the exits were sealed off before falling to his knees beside his best friend.

"Hey, Fate, hey… You have to tell me where you're injured so I can help you, okay?" He asked softly, barely gaining a nod in reply as Fate lifted her hands over her stomach before dropping them, unable to hold them up as the action made her abdomen seer with pain.

Tristan nodded a little bit, sitting on the edge of the couch as he moved her hands, jacket and flannel out of the way, leaning over her a bit as he lifted up her shirt enough to see the wound, making him curse under his breath. He didn't have any medical supplies and neither did Fate, but at least he knew where she was injured so that he could help her. There was no way that they could get to the Guild like this… There was no way Tristan would endanger his family like that…

He grabbed a random blanket and rolled it up, pressing it against her reopened wound and resting his head against hers, watching her drift asleep due to the pain. It was exactly like when she went into labor, except she had been continuously screaming and hadn't been in as much danger as she was now.

* * *

Fate awoke once again, but she woke up on her own accord. Tristan was on top of her, shielding her with his own body as a blanket was spread out across her abdomen. It was soaked with blood, probably hers, but she didn't appear to be bleeding… At least, not anymore…

Tristan appeared to be sleeping, but she could tell that his eyes were just closed and that he was trying to relax, so she gently nudged his head with hers, causing him to open his eyes. Their gazes instantly met and he gave her a small smile, sitting up and carefully removing the blanket before helping her sit up as well.

"Are you feeling alright…?" He asked softly, gaining a nod in reply.

"Yah…" Fate mumbled softly, making him smile a little more.

"Enough to get out of this Hellhole and continue fighting…?" He asked, his tone seeming serious. Fate let out a small sigh and nodded.

"I can't stay here while the others are out there. I'm sure that if we retraced our steps, we'd come across Destiny, Jo and your siblings again pretty quickly."

Tristan suddenly started tearing up and got onto his feet, crossing over to the corner of the basement furthest from the staircase that they had tumbled down earlier. He took a moment before his back hit the wall and he slid down it, holding his stomach in one arm that was covered by his legs because he brought them to his chest, and holding his head in the other.

Fate took a moment to get onto her own feet before she stumbled over to where he was, collapsing to her knees in front of him with a worried look. That's when he grabbed her, holding her like Destiny had and it felt just as powerful and emotional for some reason.

"I'm sorry…" Tristan apologized, his lips brushing against her ear. His voice and the brief feeling combined made her shiver in fear and worry for her best friend. Why was he acting this way?

"What's wrong…?" Fate asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Tristan pulled away, giving her a small smile before showing her his recently hidden arm, making her eyes widen upon realizing the dark black roots, even darker than his fur, wrapping around his arm were the same ones that Ethan had wrapped around his legs back in Erith. Fate shook her head, collapsing against Tristan as she started to sob for the 100th time since the war had started. There were 2 options to this solution that could be done in time. Tristan could become a Hebi… or he could die.

And the only ones capable of killing him before he turned were Fate and himself.

"No, no, no, no, please…" Fate begged, digging her face into his the crook of his neck as his arms wrapped around her. It could only be spread from Hebi to person, not from person to person, so they could hold each other… but it's not like it made anything better.

"Fate—"

"I won't do it." She cut him off. "And I won't let you do it. You can't die. Peter and Sage need you. Kurai needs you. _**I need you**_."

"Please, don't…" Tristan pleaded, making her angrier.

"Don't what, Tristan? Don't be honest?" She asked, tears streaming down her face as she pulled away from him. She held his shoulders firmly and his grip on her hips was strong despite him growing weaker during the slow turning process. He shook his head.

"Not that…" He replied softly. "I meant don't let me turn into one of those monsters…"

"But I don't want you to die!"

"It's doesn't matter what you want! There's _**no escaping it**_!"

Fate shook her head, resting her head against Tristan's as her body slumped against his in his lap. He removed a hand from her hip to grab his gun, removing it from his waistband and holding it out to her, making her shake her head more as she continued to cry. He used his other hand to hold one of her hands, placing it on the gun and forcing her to take it. Her sapphire blue eyes peered into his dark brown ones and he gave her a small smile, nodding his head a little bit as his arms wrapped back around her.

"I'd rather the girl I love with all of my heart to kill me, than to die at my own hands…"

Fate's breath nearly hitched and Tristan tilted his forehead down to rest against hers and pulled her closer to him. His body was warm against her own and she shivered. Slowly, she closed her eyes and she breathed in the scent of wood and the fresh smell of grass. She loved it even if it wasn't as strong as the sweat and blood soaking it. They were so close; the tips of their noses were nearly touching. Tristan's hand rose to caress Fate's cheek and she swallowed, evident of the tears filling her eyes once again.

She didn't try to move away.

And then Tristan's lips were on hers. They were so warm and soft against hers. She couldn't stop her heart from pounding in her chest and her blood flowed rapidly in her cheeks, making her face as pink as ever. He was gentle, his other hand moving to her other cheek, holding her face to his. She started to sob in the middle of it, breaking them apart and causing him to apologize, but she didn't care. If Destiny was there, he would've understood why her lips weren't connecting with his instead.

"I love you and nothing can change that… Even if I couldn't be with you, I wanted to protect you… and I got to." Tristan said, tears starting to stream down his own face. Fate swallowed, allowing their lips to brush across each other as she tried to control her emotions, only to fail every time she tried.

"I love you, too…" She whispered softly. "Maybe not in the way you want me to… but I do love you…"

Tristan smiled, nodding a little bit. That was enough for him, but Fate couldn't bring herself to raise his gun, so Tristan wrapped his hands around hers, holding the gun with her.

"You're a survivor, Fate…" He stated softly, confusing her a little bit. "No matter how much it seems like you're going to drown, there will always be an island somewhere. I just know it… You and Destiny will have a life together with those 3 little kids, and maybe even your own someday. You'll overcome every obstacle in the road ahead of you together, because your 2 separate roads have become one for you both to travel hand in hand. There'll be times in which yo have to go down separate roads again before coming back together, but _**don't you dare give up on those little paths**_ … Okay?"

Fate was crying, wanting to shake her head again… but she didn't have the strength to do so.

"I don't want to say goodbye…" She sobbed.

"I know, but you have to…" He said, whimpering a little in between his words. "This is where my story ends and where my part in your story ends... Your story is still going, so you have to make the best out of it... For me and the others…"

Fate nodded ever so slightly, leaning all of her weight against her dying best friend as he held her as tightly as he could, each of them breathing in the other's scent before it would disappear forever.

"Take care of everyone for me, okay? Especially Peter, Sage and Kurai… Live your life to the fullest on my behalf… And take care of both my jacket and my gun…" Tristan cracked the small joke, making Fate sob out a small laugh as he did the same.

Fate's dominant rose, holding Tristan's gun to his head. They stared intently in each other's eyes and they both smiled softly, unable to do anything else in that moment.

"I love you, Fate…"  
"I love you, too, Tristan…"

And then the trigger was pulled.


	54. That Poor, Screaming Girl

The road was long and never-ending.

Fate's muscles ached and she yearned to have a proper night's sleep, but she couldn't rest until this war was over and she was reunited with her family. Hopefully they were all still in groups and were safe. She buttoned up her flannel before she pulled her jacket closer to her body, protecting herself from the cold. However, she found herself leaning against a wall that came out of nowhere, gripping her stomach tightly because it felt like her wound could start bleeding at any moment.

She missed Tristan already. His jacket and gnu were constant reminders of him, but she promised to take care of them. Jokes became serious when said by a dying loved one. There was never a dull moment with the oldest Keynes child and she wanted to be with him right now. He would know how to help her. He would help her keep the hope when she felt like giving up, just like she did right now. She'd never see him again, though. She'd never hear his voice or see his dark brown eyes ever again.

She remembered saying this one time that she couldn't live without Tristan Keynes. It was almost true. She didn't want to see a world without him, but she had to.

She looked down at her hands and realized that they were stained red up past her wrists from her blood, Tristan's blood and the blood of so many others that she either knew the name of or never even got the chance to know. But she only had so much further to go until she met up with the 4 that she had gotten separated from. Were they worried about her? Did they care that her and Tristan might've died together…?

Her question was answered when she heard a voice she had started to miss just as much as Tristan, but she barely reacted. She could only look up to see Destiny for a split second before she slid to the ground, unable to move from her spot. He fell onto his knees beside her, his bag straight beside him as he rummaged through it, pulling out medical supplies after medical supplies.

For some reason, he didn't speak. He just lifted her shirt, cursing silently under his breath about her injury before going back to pulling medical supplies out of his bag.

Fate found herself staring in the window across the street and she couldn't recognize the Exceed in front of her. That girl in front of her had stringy-looking gray fur, dull sapphire blue eyes that no longer sparkled, and she was stained with blood on every inch of her body. Tears were forming in the girl's eyes and her cheeks were stained from past tears that had escaped their prison. Suddenly, her lips opened wide and produced a sound that could only be a scream of agony. She continued to scream, her shoulders were hunched and shaking and tears poured from her eyes, slipping down her cheeks.

Oh, that poor girl. Fate wanted to help her. She wanted to put her down and end her misery. She shouldn't stand to live through that much pain. She _**couldn't**_ stand it. It wasn't humane. Fate reached out to touch the window and only then did she realize something.

That poor, screaming girl trapped in the window was none other than herself.

* * *

There was the faint rustling of footsteps amongst the leaves and Krystal whipped around, her gun aimed in the dark. It was then that she saw an unknown Exceed coming forward with his own gun raised, but Ruri was quick to react and she pulled the trigger, sending a bullet deep into his shoulder. He cried out as he dropped to the ground and Krystal stormed over to him with her gun raised, the barrel pointed between his eyes.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

The Exceed wouldn't give her an answer and he continued to cry out as he clutched at his shoulder which was spewing blood. From behind her, Krystal heard a groan.

"Krystal!" Ruri hissed. "Let's go!"

"Not until it's done." Krystal hissed, her finger curling around the trigger.

" _ **Stop**_!" A new voice suddenly cried. "Or else they're dead!"

The cocking of a gun caused Krystal to freeze in her tracks and she slowly looked up to see another Exceed with dark fur aiming a pistol at her. The gun was so close; all Krystal has to do was lean forward for it to be pressed against her temple. The Exceed was glaring at her, a sadistic smirk on her face as she reluctantly pulled away from the man below and turned around to see Ruri and Akuma held at gunpoint by 2 other women. He heart began to pound erratically within her chest and she could feel herself freezing up over the fact that they were overwhelmed and surrounded. Her eyes met both Akuma and Ruri's who were both staring back at her with the same expression. _**Fear**_.

One of the Exceed's, an orange-furred, began barking orders almost immediately.

"Guns and knives on the ground, right now." She snapped.

Krystal quickly complied, raising one hand up to show that she was surrendering whilst she used her other to lower her gun. She pulled her knife out of her back pocket and dropped that as well. She kicked them both away for good measure before turning her attention back to the orange-furred Exceed who looked like the obvious leader of that little group as she was the one giving all of the commands.

"Nice jacket."

Krystal turned slightly to see that it was Akuma's captor that was talking. She happened to be eyeing her up and down in interest, her gaze never leaving the denim of Tenshi's jacket that was wrapped around her shoulders.

" _ **I'll certainly be taking that when you're gone.**_ "

* * *

"So, what are you going to name him?"

Marcy sighed at Mira's question. It was meant to distract her from the obvious worrying she had been doing for everyone who hadn't been left behind at the Guild. She held her teddy bear in her arms and was squeezing him tighter than usual, so Mira must've tried to calm her down. They were in the middle of a war… How could Marcy be calm when her family was fighting?

"I'm still not sure…" Marcy sighed in reply.

"That's okay. You should take your time and not let anyone rush you, alright?" Mira asked softly, busy with cleaning a glass.

Marcy nodded a bit before letting out a sigh. Were her parents okay? What about Abygale? What about all of the others? Anything could go wrong, but she was only sitting in the same spot since it started because Micah told her about all of the things that could go right.

However, Marcy wasn't sure about the pocket knife weighing her pocket down more than it probably should've or about the small, wooden stake in the back of her waistband, covered by her sweater shirt. Micah had a similar one, but he didn't seem to be thinking too much on the fact that it was a weapon. It was simply for their protection, but it wasn't like either of them were actually going to fight.

"Aww, you guys are looking quite down!"

Everyone's heads shot up at the unrecognizable voice, seeing a small Exceed hovering in the air. His fur was a light beige and his eyes were quite a dark brown, and even though he was hovering, his wings were nowhere in sight. Everyone got to their feet and Marcy put her teddy bear off to the side, knowing that if Mira was walking around to the other side of the counter, a fight was probably about to happen. The Exceed seemed to notice because he stopped lounging in the air and straightened himself out, looking around the room. That's when his eyes landed on Marcy.

"Oh, hey! You're that other Exceed's daughter, right?" He asked, bringing himself down to hover in front of her. She took a couple of steps back, unsure of whether to answer or not.

"Which Exceed…?" Marcy asked softly, unable to raise her voice anymore than the volume it came out at.

"Dang, you know… The big shot! The small one who the main Seekers seem so interested in! Gray fur, sapphire blue eyes—you got it now?" He asked, making her nod in reply. "Man, you're lucky that you aren't with her right now!"

"Why's that?" Marcy asked with a big of a confused glare, making the Exceed in front of her chuckle. His grin flashed his vampire fangs and Marcy got a lot more nervous about his answer.

"One word, kiddo—death. Of course, it's not _**her**_ who's died, but… A lot of my people certainly have. She's quite the killer, your dear Mom." He explained, gaining a shake of the head from Marcy.

"She'd only kill for good reasons. Your people probably tried to kill her." Marcy stated.

" _ **Probably**_ …"

Marcy didn't like the half-Exceed in front of her. He was getting on her nerves and she just wanted him to disappear into thin air and for nothing to have happened. He must've taken her silence as defeat because he chuckled again.

"You don't even know _**how**_ she killed who she did…" He sighed a bit with his statement. "She stabbed John, let her buddy slit Robert's throat, and she bashed Larvy's face in while his group got shot. Hell, Rick got his throat ripped out! Now _**that**_ was hilarious, but you know…"

Marcy tensed at every mention of something brutal, even if it was just slightly. She knew that those men must've deserved it. Her Mom wouldn't kill innocent people or let innocent people die, especially in the way those people did. She didn't even realize that she was grinding her teeth together out of anger until she let out a small sigh.

"You know, I was wondering—"

The Exceed didn't get another word out because Marcy had grabbed her stake from the back of her waistband and had stabbed him straight in the chest with it, causing him to let out a small gasp in shock.

"Wonder about that."

And just like that, the Exceed in front of her shattered. No one reacted and Mira seemed to sigh in relief that Marcy was okay before going around to the other side of the bar again. Marcy didn't move for a moment, but when she did, she bumped into Micah. He looked concerned.

"Are you okay…?" Micah asked softly. Marcy took a moment before nodding a bit, a pair of words popping into her head for some reason.

" _ **Gotta be**_ …"


	55. This Way, That Way, Which Way?

_**'I have no idea where I am.'**_

Akuma's vision was obscured, her hands were tied with several layers of duct tape, and she had an old rag shoved between her teeth. Someone had a firm hold on her arm and their grip was digging tight into her skin. If it wasn't for the jean jacket veering her, she was sure that there would have been marks. The holder jerked her forward again and she stumbled slightly, unsure of where she was going to what she was walking upon.

Her heart was pounding deeply in her chest and she could feel the blood roaring in her ears. Her shoulders had stopped trembling and she was no longer running off of fear. She was running off the adrenaline that could only come from the mind of a survivor. She could handle herself. There were 3 of Fairy Tail against 4 of the Seekers little slaves. And one of them, the only man in fact, was injured. Those people didn't stand a chance against them.

Tenshi and the others would find them. She was sure of it. She had even left them a trail to follow. She knew that her husband could track like the back of his hand and that's the entire reason she continued to stumble wherever she was being led. As long as she left marks of her struggle, Tenshi would find them and then he'd eventually find her. She had no doubt about it.

Suddenly, she was pulled to a stop and she looked around blindly in hopes that she might've seen some sort of light through her jacket that had been pulled over her head. Unfortunately, nothing could be seen through that jacket and it was so long that she couldn't even look down to see what she was walking through. Every which way she turned was merely a curtain of black.

"Get inside." One of them ordered her.

She recognized the voice. It was the woman who had wanted her jacket. Her hand found its place in the center of her back and pushed her forward. Stumbling, Akuma took notice of how her footsteps changed and she heard a door being closed behind her. Immediately, she knew she was inside a building. Where that building was, only God knew.

She continued walking forward until she was jerked to a stop again. A moment later, she heard the snarl of what she could only make out as a Hebi and she instantly jumped back, flailing her legs out wildly and the woman behind her chuckled.

"Nothin' to be afraid of darlin'." She stated, ripping the jacket off her head and Akuma could finally see again. At her feet was a dead Hebi with black blood pooling under its head and Akuma instinctively took a step back in disgust. "We'll protect you." The woman snickered.

While the Seekers tended to the room, Akuma took a moment to take in her surroundings. Her body tensed at the look of the slaughterhouse she found herself in and was reminded vaguely of one time when she was her son's age and far too curious for her own good. Rust was forming on the ground and walls, and the air was humid. There were 2 doors. One from which they just came out of and one that she assumed led deeper into the building. When given her chance to escape, she would have to decide which door to take and hope that she picked the right one.

Ruri and Krystal stood a little ways behind her and she could see 2 very different expressions on their faces. Krystal's jaw was taut and if it wasn't for the gag, she was sure that the purple Exceed would have been speaking her mind, regardless of what was on it. Ruri, on the other hand, had a look that Akuma hadn't seen before and one that she never thought she'd see on her. That was _**fear**_.

The leader, the orange-furred named Annie, moved to the center of the room and looked smugly at Krystal.

"On the ground." She ordered. When none of them moved, she began moving them forcefully. "Alyssa, put the elder over there. Julia, you take the little Emerald." Annie crossed over to Krystal and grinned. "I've got this one."

Annie roughly grabbed Krystal by the upper arm and took her to the back of the room. With no chance to object, Annie shoved her by the shoulders until she dropped down to her knees and eventually found her place on the floor. Annie then crouched down in front of her and began tying her legs together with thick layers of duct tape. Staring down at the woman, Krystal dared her to make eye contact with her and she finally did with a smug smirk on her face.

"How's your lip feeling?" She teased.

Krystal instinctively ran her tongue along her bottom lip and was welcomed with the taste of coppery blood. After she had tried to fight back earlier, Annie had smacked her across the face with her gun because even after Krystal had been tied up, she tried for another go at escaping. Unfortunately, that hadn't worked out so well because now she could hardly feel her lip. She grimaced at how swollen it was and she rolled her eyes at Annie, knowing that she wasn't going to show her the pain that she wanted to see. Annie chuckled.

"You're wondering if there's a way out of this." She said, noticing how Krystal's gaze flickered between Akuma's and Ruri's. "Well, there isn't. Not unless I say so."

Alyssa and Marcus went out in search of something and Julia went to discard of the Hebi that had been in the room. Krystal watched as Annie finished off the duct tape and she stared down at the silvery tape that was once her hands. She wasn't sure how she was going to get that undone. As she looked around the room, she couldn't see anything even remotely sharp.

She began to hear Hebi growls from outside the room.

"Annie!" Alyssa called. "We need more backup!"

Annie let out a sigh of annoyance and rose to her feet.

"I want to kill all 3 of you right now. It's taking all I have not to." She informed harshly, looking around to each of them on the floor. "So, go ahead, I dare you. Try something. Just see what happens."

And then Annie left the room and the 3 of them were alone with their thoughts. All 3 of them sat an equal amount of distance apart, but Krystal knew that she wouldn't be able to make it to them and back to her spot in time with all of that duct tape. She was literally trapped there on the floor with nothing to do but try and work her own way free.

Akuma watched as Krystal tried lifting herself up with the help of a nearby trough, but when she realized that wasn't going to work; she dropped back to the ground with a thud and began trying to cut through the tape with a sharp rock near her foot. Meanwhile, Akuma chewed on her gag, hoping to work it free, but it was tied around the back of her head and wouldn't budge.

She had to think like Tenshi. What would Tenshi do to get out of a situation like this? She shot herself down at that because she knew Tenshi was smart enough not to risk getting caught. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, Akuma noticed Ruri's breathing grow rapid and shorter as her eyes glazed over. Her shoulders began to tremble and she was trying to cough, but the gag was preventing her from getting the proper air she needed. Akuma quickly understood that she was hyperventilating and she frowned at her reaction. Why was she acting like this? It wasn't like Ruri to be so scared.

Akuma tried to mumble her name through the gag but the more she tried to talk, the more it felt like it was choking her. Ruri continued to jerk back and forth, the tears flowing down her cheeks as she struggled for air and Akuma knew that this was no longer a game. Ruri wasn't trying to trick anyone. She was having an actual panic attack.

The door swung open and in walked Annie and her followers. They brushed right past the 3 of them, completely ignoring Ruri's fit, as they turned to helping the injured man, Marcus, who had blood spewing from his arm where Ruri had shot him.

Ruri continued to pant and Krystal was trying to console her, but the 14 year old couldn't be reached. Frantically, Krystal turned to Annie and slapped her feet against the hard pavement in hopes of getting her attention.

"Hey!" She screamed through the gag.

Annie let out a sigh of annoyance and stomped over to Krystal, pulling the gag harshly from her mouth.

"What?" She demanded irritably.

"She's hyperventilating!" Krystal yelled at she pointed at Ruri with duct-taped hands. "Somebody needs to take her gag off!"

Annie glanced over at Ruri who looked like she was on the verge of passing out. She was doubled over; fighting to get the gag out from in between her teeth, but it wasn't working. Annie crossed over to Ruri and pulled the fabric free from her mouth. Ruri immediately took in a large gulp of air and leaned to the side, her head against the cool tile of the wall. Her chest heaved up and down as she took in deep and desperate breaths. When Annie noticed Akuma's watchful gaze, she chuckled and walked towards her.

"I assume you want to talk too, right?" She asked and when Akuma didn't muffle something in response, she tilted her head to the side. "What? _**Gag**_ got your tongue?"

Akuma remained silent, her eyes pouring into Annie's, but she wouldn't break eye contact. Slowly, she squatted down in front of her and pulled the gag free, allowing the fabric to rest loosely around her neck. She took in a much needed breath of her own and ran her tongue along her chapped lips, letting out a soft sigh as she did so.

"So, _who's Tenshi_?" Annie asked, glancing down at the bracelets on Akuma's wrist that weren't covered by the duct tape. There was one for each member of her family by blood, but Tenshi's apparently stood out to the Exceed in front of her. "Is that you husband? Brother? I guess it doesn't matter much though, does it? I'll kill him either way."

Akuma was fuming at the mention of Tenshi and watched as Annie smirked at her, rising up onto her feet and walking away from her. Akuma knew that she was aware of her eyes on her, but she didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest. She began to wonder if there was really anything that bothered the orange-furred Exceed. She seemed like the kind of person that was only concerned with her own survival. It didn't even appear as if she cared about her fellow Seekers. She was a fight or flight kind of woman.

Ruri's breathing brought Akuma's attention back and she turned to look at her.

"She's a nervous little bird, ain't she?" Alyssa asked. "Honey, you need to take some yoga breaths and calm your ass down."

"I can't…" Ruri stammered between breaths. "Please, I can't…"

As she finished up Marcus' arm, Annie turned towards Ruri in interest.

"What are you so afraid of?" She asked. "Are you actually afraid to die?" She scoffed when she didn't get an answer. "All this… And you're just scared of getting your ticket punched."

Ruri shook her head.

"It doesn't matter what happens to me." She whispered. "Just don't hurt the others, please… They have so much more to live for…"

"Scout crew is coming."Annie informed her group. "They're 30 minutes out, maybe less."

Marcus looked like he was getting worse. Even with the tourniquet, blood was still spewing and the man had grown deathly pale. He was going to die unless someone did something, but Akuma didn't plan on doing anything, though. If Marcus died, it would even the rest of them. 3 against 3… They could take 'em.

"He doesn't have 30 minutes." Krystal insisted after a moment. "His nerves are dying. If he doesn't get medical help, he's going to lose his arm—maybe his life. I'm not a doctor but my Dad lost his leg, and I know that much."

For a moment, Akuma found herself back in Arrine, working as a doctor for the people working at and past the walls they had. She had been lodged into a tiny workspace with her best friends Zoey and Marley as they worked furiously over Liam Eve, determined to save his life after his leg had been amputated by the others he was with. She couldn't remember why, but she never gave up hope on that man and she was thankful for it. Because of what that man taught her, she was able to save his life and others. Unfortunately, now that same man was lying somewhere in a field, dead and not even buried.

Suddenly, Marcus shifted from his place on the ground and Akuma was ripped from her thoughts. Shakily, with the use of one arm, the man pushed himself to his feet but he swayed slightly from blood loss.

"You know my problem?" He asked absentmindedly, already finding himself breathless. He walked to the center of the room and stopped in front of Ruri, his back to Krystal. Peering around his legs cautiously, Akuma shivered at the glare he was sending down at Ruri. "She did this to me. She did it and she's just sitting there right as rain, fully intact." He spat. Then, he turned towards Annie and pointed a finger at her. "We're just gonna kill all 3 of them—right now."

Krystal pressed her lips into a firm line to prevent herself from talking despite the fact that she desperately wanted to. She wanted to scream at that Exceed she wanted to kick his knees out from under him and more than anything, she wanted to kill him. She had planned to kill him merely hours ago. She should've just gone through with it.

He argued with Annie before he let out a screech, bringing up his arm and smacking Annie across the face in frustration. The Exceed cried out and lurched back in surprise from the blow. Marcus made another go for it, but Akuma found herself eyeing his legs and then she found herself reacting. Swinging her tied legs outwards, she snagged Marcus by the back of the knee and he went crashing to the ground. Due to the movement, Akuma suddenly found herself on her back and she was flailing her legs out wildly in an attempt to protect herself from any future attack,

And then she felt it. Marcus rose back to his feet and used his good arm to haul her forcefully to her feet. Unbalanced, she nearly fell again, but Marcus moved his hand to grab the back of her head and gripped her fur tightly between his fingers. Akuma cried out, tears instantly filling her eyes at the pain. He forced her head upwards so that she was looking at the ceiling.-

"No!" Ruri screamed. "Stop it!"

"Leave her alone!" Krystal cried. "Let her go, you son of a bitch!"

"No, I don't think I will." Marcus seethed, his warm breath hitting Akuma right in the face.

Bracing herself for the pain, she didn't hesitate in swinging her face forward, full force. Her forehead smacked again Marcus' nose and she heard a crunch as he hand fell from her fur. Immediately, Akuma's vision went blurry, her head began to ache, and she staggered on her feet. She watched Marcus back up blindly, only to be tripped by Ruri instead of her. He easily kicked the teen away and she was sprawled out on the ground. Krystal continued to scream, watching as the chaos consumed around her.

Marcus delivered a swift kick to Ruri's side and without thinking; she tried to take a step only to find herself racing towards the ground. She landed square on her stomach adn cried out, taking most of the pain in her shoulders due to the way they were tied. She cried out again, her body tensing in pain and turned onto her side. She looked up just in time to see Annie approaching Marcus and she knocked him out cold with the butt of her gun. The man went crashing to the ground in a heap.

Exhausted and burning with pain, Akuma leaned her head against the cold floor and closed her eyes. She could feel blood gathering i her mouth, but decided to swallow it. She was also convinced that her forehead was bruised due to the pulsing she felt. Suddenly, she felt arms on top of her and she flinched. Looking up, she could see that Krystal had forced herself to her knees and threw her body across hers with hopes of protecting her.

"Are you alright?" She demanded. When Akuma didn't answer immediately, Krystal shook her harshly with duct-taped hands. "Akuma!"

Akuma nodded to show that she was okay and ultimately ended up spitting out a mouthful of blood. Forcing herself up into a sitting position, her eyes met with Annie's.

"Damn." She murmured. "You really are some kind of stupid."

"She was trying to help you!" Krystal defended.

"I can take care of myself." Annie insisted, rubbing absentmindedly at her jaw. Then, she turned towards Julia. "Take the little fighter into the other room. See if she knows anything."

Akuma immediately tensed as Julia started towards her, but Krystal was quick to react, putting her body in front of Akuma's.

"No!" She declared. "Leave her alone!"

"Get out of my way, bitch." Julia snarled, pointing a gun towards her.

When Krystal wouldn't move on her own, Julia had to forcefully shove her aside and finally crouched down in front of Akuma, cutting away the duct tape around her legs. She was thankful to stretch them out, but almost a second after; Julia was hauling her to her feet. Krystal stared after her worriedly as she was guided to the other side of the room and shoved through a door. She couldn't even look back before it was being closed in her face.

Julia led Akuma down a dark and rusted hallway, stopping at the last door on the left. She could hear Hebi growls echoing around her, but couldn't see any nearby. She would have to be on lookout for them if she got the chance to escape. Now that her legs were free, she was capable of running, but she wasn't leaving that place without Krystal and Ruri with her.

Julia shoved Akuma into a small work room and grabbed 2 chairs.

"Try anything and I will kill you. I don't care how much you have to live for." She snapped. She placed the chairs and equal amount apart and motioned to one of them. "I assume you don't need help taking a seat, do you?"

Keeping her face placid of expression, Akuma stepped around Julia, tensing when she felt to cool metal of the gun brush against her arm. She lowered herself into one of the seats and a moment later, Julia sat down in front of her. She rested the gun against her thigh, the barrel pointed right at Akuma.

"You can talk now." Julia reminded her. "You don't have to be afraid."

"I don't want to hurt you." Akuma told her, licking her lips cautiously.

"So, she speaks." Julia chuckled cockily. "And you're not going to hurt me, Akuma. I'm the one with a gun."

" _ **I don't need a gun**_."

Akuma noticed how Julia tensed slightly at her words and saw that her fingers tightened around the gun. Her finger wasn't wrapped around the trigger, strangely enough, but Akuma knew that she was capable of shooting her.

"The way you stay alive is you produce for us. Let's get this straight: You're not the good guys. You should know that." Julia sighed, changing the subject a bit.

"There are no good guys." Akuma replied matter-of-factly. " _ **You**_ should know _**that**_."

Averting her gaze from Julia's, her eyes landed on her forearm where a name had been tattooed into the skin.

" _ **Robert**_ …" She read aloud. "Who was he?"

"Not my boyfriend, that's for sure. Robert was my dad." She informed. "And that was what I was going to name the baby."

Akuma could feel her jaw dropping and her eyes widening at Julia's words. Her gaze locked on Julia's flat stomach which had once been home to a child. Her words hit close to home and Akuma swallowed stiffly.

"I'm sorry…" Akuma whispered, and she meant it.

"No." Julia denied. "You're not."

" _ **And I'm not going to be sorry when you lose your kids either.**_ "


	56. No-Go Deal

When Julia finally dragged Akuma back to her cell with the others, her eyes widened on the sight in front of her. The room had darkened. Ruri was on her side, eyes closed and from where she was, Akuma couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. In another corner, her eyes landed on Krystal who had tears streaming down her cheeks. At the back of the room, Alyssa was hovering over a still unconscious Marcus. Meanwhile, Annie stood in between all of them with her hands on her hips and whipped her head towards the door when they appeared.

"Did she talk?" Annie asked. Julia shook her head.

"What do you think?"

Annie let out a sigh of annoyance and then moved towards Krystal, hauling her to her feet.

"Talk to her." She ordered, shoving the Exceed at Julia. "She's the weakest of the bunch."

Julia handed Akuma to Annie and before she could even utter a protest, Julia was gone, dragging Krystal off behind her. Akuma looked after their exit a long time, her breathing growing shallow as she began to wonder what Julia was capable of doing to Krystal. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face when she suddenly felt herself being tugged to the ground.

Her eyes moved to Ruri's body and she was more than relieved to see the faint rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She had a bruise on her forehead, from what Akuma couldn't be sure, but the idea of them hurting Ruri sickened her.

"What did you do to her?" Akuma demanded.

"Little Bird was a little nervous." Annie snickered.

"I can see the marks." Akuma pointed out. "You hit her."

"She wouldn't stop talking." Annie informed. "I had to get her to shut up some way—she was giving me a headache. Just like you are right now. Don't make me do the same to a Mother."

Akuma stared down at her duct-taped hands.

"You don't have to do this." She reminded Annie, her eyes falling to a walkie-talkie that was attached to her belt. "Turn to channel 39 and make a trade with some of our own on the other side—let us go and we all live. There doesn't have to be a fight."

At that, Alyssa let out a scoff and moved closer to her.

"Your people are killing our people." She snapped. "Of course we've gotta fight."

"We didn't want to." Akuma insisted. " _ **I**_ didn't want to. I tried to suggest another way, but our Guild Master made a point. If you were coming to us, then we had to fight back. I was trying to stop the bloodshed, but—"

"Shut up." Annie interrupted. "Don't lie to me. You wanted to fight. I saw your expression last night when Krystal was about to shoot Marcus. You don't see that expression on the face of someone who's afraid to kill. You wanted to fight. Tell me why."

"Your people killed a 15 year old boy who was choosing his own path. You tore him away from his best friends—from my _**daughter**_. Your people threatened ours that day and it was that same daughter of mine who saved us, but if she hadn't, than we would have died."

"Well, damn…" Alyssa sighed. "So now we know what nearly killed our leaders… Those idiots—probably put on a big show."

Annie was still staring down at Akuma, daring her to say more, but she had already said too much. Annie licked her lips.

"Okay, fair play." She finally said. "You were just defending yourselves. Defending your children. But, see, your people nearly killed ours in Erith, right? Nearly blew them to pieces. So, why not stop?"

"We were going to, but then you threatened our town where _**innocent citizens**_ live. We couldn't just stand by while you tore through the place." Akuma explained. "You all keep mentioning Xerum, so I'm guessing that he's leading this just like he leads everything else."

"And what do you think you know about Xerum?" Annie questioned, stiffening.

"He's a killer—a bully, who thinks he can get whatever he wants if he scares enough people. He killed a 15 year old kid…" Akuma murmured, her thoughts drifting to many of the members of Fairy Tail at the mention of a teenager. "If he's capable of things like that… He sounds like a maniac. We had to stop him, along with all of you. We're _**not**_ going to let him kill us, too."

"Sweetie, sweetie…" Alyssa mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief. " _ **We are all Xerum**_."

"What the Hell does that mean?" Akuma asked with a frown.

But she never received an answer. Instead, Annie moved away from her and over to examine Marcus' body which underneath a pool of blood was forming. Averting her gaze to the woman across the room, Akuma's face fell at the sight of an unmoving Ruri. The snarl of a Hebi echoing in the halls caused her head to whip towards the door Krystal and Julia disappeared through and she could only hope that her friend was alright. She had to be stronger than Julia. She couldn't give away anything.

Alyssa reached into her pocket to produce a cigarette and Akuma automatically held her breath. The only person she accepted smoking inside was Wakaba, merely because it was his Magic.

"Please, don't." Akuma pleaded. "You can do anything else—just don't smoke—or go into the other room if you have to. Please."

Alyssa ignored her and lit the cigarette. As soon as the smoke began drifting through the room, Akuma held her breath and looked away only to have her eyes fall on a pair of feet. Looking up, she had to strain her neck to look Annie properly in the eyes.

" _ **Please**_?" She mocked. "I think that's the first time I've heard you beg. I like it." She let out a laugh. "You really are weak."

Annie chuckled and snatched the cigarette from Alyssa, crouching down in front of Akuma as she did so. She held the cigarette close to her face and blew the smoke towards her, grinning as she watched her squirm.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" She asked. "When your back's against a wall and there's nothing you can do."

Ashes were falling onto Akuma's knee, sizzling the fur and skin where there was a hole in the fabric. Tears were swimming in her eyes at that point and the whole situation brought her back to her horrible 14th year of living, when her Mother was lost the most and ended up relying on a man that abused the 3 lonely girls living together. He often smoked in the house, hurting Casmyr and Akuma's natural growth, and often got drunk, which ended in abusing the 2 younger girls or their Mother.

And there she was, stuck against a wall with her hands tied, forced to breathe in second-hand smoke.

"What are you so afraid of?" Annie asked. "Just breathe it in. I'm sure your lungs can handle it and if not… Too bad."

Before she could comprehend it, Akuma leaned back against the wall and kicked her feet up, delivering a solid kick to Annie's abdomen. She cried out as she flew back, the cigarette dropping from her hands as she did so, and Akuma brought her foot down, crushing the toxin to pieces under her shoe.

Alyssa glared down at the crushed cigarette and looked like she was trying to convince herself not to bash her face in with her boot; much like her so-called Step-Father had done to Casmyr after she tried to protect her younger sister. Annie, meanwhile, slowly clambered back to her feet and chuckled.

"You really are quite the fighter." She said. "Why do you still fight when you already know you're going to lose?"

"It's not over until it's over." Akuma replied.

"You don't really think you're getting out of here alive, do you?" Annie asked. "Because if you do, well… You've got another thing coming. We're not taking any trades. We'll kill you 3 before we risk our own lives."

"Then why are you still here?" Akuma demanded. "Why not just kill us and leave?"

"We can't risk your people coming back for revenge." Annie explained. "We've got reinforcements coming that'll help us take out the rest of your little group. And when that's all said and done, you'll be dead, too."

"You're willing to kill a Mother and 2 teenagers?" Akuma asked. "Who do you think you are? Don't you have any remorse for what you've done? How do you sleep at night?"

"I don't." She admitted with a shrug. "Not a day goes by where I'm not plagued with nightmares—thing is, I'm starting to find more solace in my nightmares than out here. At least in my head things are predictable. Out here in reality, there's a twist around every corner." Annie glanced down at Akuma. "You know, before I got caught up in this whole war thing, I was a secretary. What were you, Akuma?"

Akuma remained silent, refusing to tell her what her career had been in fear that she might blame her for Marcus' well-being. She wasn't always a doctor, however. When she wasn't saving lives, she was raising them. Having 3 children wasn't exactly an easy task and neither was being a Mother.

When Annie realized that she wasn't going to get a response, she continued on about herself.

"I fetched coffee for her boss and made him feel good about himself. I spent most of my days reading stupid emails." She said. "There was this one inspirational email that kept going around—a young woman was having a hard time and told her Mom she wanted to give up, so her Mom went into the kitchen and started boiling 3 pots of water. She put a carrot in one, an egg in another, and ground coffee beans in the last one.  
After they boiled for awhile, her Mom said, _'Look, all 3 things went through the same boiling water. The carrot went in strong and came out soft. The egg was fragile and came out hard. But the coffee beans changed the water itself'._ " Annie glanced down at Akuma once again. "You're supposed to want to be the coffee beans, Akuma, but I don't think you are… What do you think you are?"

Akuma pursed her lips.

"I'm all of them and none of them." She whispered.

"Do you think that's a good thing or a bad thing?" Annie asked. Akuma mumbled something, but it was incoherent and Annie smirked, realizing that she was getting to her, slowly and surely. "What was that?" She taunted.

"I don't know." Akuma admitted. "I don't know… I don't know."

"Oh, you know." Annie sneered. "You're just scared of the answer… That's what you're afraid of. You're afraid of yourself. Afraid of what you've become—afraid of what you'll be. Afraid to live, but not afraid to die. Only, you can't die because you've got too much baggage to leave. You're stuck here, whether you like it or not."

 _ **Killing gets easier**_. Akuma remembered those exact words she had said to her older sister over 14 years ago. She missed her older sister with everything she had to miss her with. If she thought back hard enough, she could still feel her soft hand in hers as she killed herself after catching a deadly illness with no known cure. What Akuma wouldn't give to have Casmyr beside her now.

But killing doesn't get easier. Each death just stacked higher and higher onto the tower you've built and all towers come down eventually. Akuma's tower was cracking and shaking, much like Arrine's watchtower had done just before it fell, causing devastation to everyone and everything in its wake. That was her. Akuma was a ticking time bomb and she didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to kill anyone.

The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others.

"It's the things we love the most that destroy us." Annie murmured, ripping Akuma from her thoughts. "Don't you agree? That's why you can't love anyone. You can't love a husband, a child, a friend… They'll just get you killed in the end."

Akuma shook her head.

"You're wrong." She disagreed. "They're the reasons life is still worth living. You can't make it alone. You'll go insane."

"We're all insane." Annie replied, placing her hands on her hips. "How many people have you killed Akuma?"

"Too many…" Akuma murmured. Annie frowned.

"Too many…?" She repeated. "There's no such thing. See, that's how I'm not like you. I'm not weak like you. I'm not afraid to kill. I'm not afraid to go to sleep at night. I'm not afraid to look in the mirror. I've lost everything and it's only made me stronger. You know what it's made you?"

" _ **Human**_ …" Akuma hissed, her throat closing up as her eyes grew glassy with tears.

"Wrong." Annie snickered. "It makes you a dead woman." She frowned. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I don't want to kill you…" Akuma murmured, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. "But I'm beginning to think that I don't have a choice."

"You can't kill me." Annie whispered. "You're not strong enough."

"You don't know anything about me." Akuma snapped. "I'm not like you and I'm damn well glad for it." She pursed her lips. "Yah, I'm not afraid to die—but you are. You're going to die today. _**You will die**_ _._ Unless you figure something out. Unless you go through with a trade. You think there's a way out of this, but you're wrong. You don't know my people. They're not going to stop until you're all dead unless you give them a reason to spare you."

"Are you going to kill me, Akuma?" Annie asked slyly, tilting her head to the side as she looked down at her.

"For your sake…" Akuma mumbled. "I hope not."

Annie stared down at Akuma, contemplating her words whilst she just looked at her hands. What she would have done if they weren't tied, Akuma didn't even want to imagine. She didn't want to kill Annie, she didn't want to kill Julia, and she didn't want to kill Alyssa. She wanted to walk away from this alive and never see these bitches again. She just wanted to live.

Slowly, Annie undid the talkie from her belt and held the device up to her lips, changing it a couple of channels.

"Hey, assholes!" She called smugly. "Are you there?"

Akuma stared at the talkie, praying that there would be a response and she sighed loudly in relief when she got one. The action didn't go unnoticed by Annie, but she was too distracted by Tenshi to do anything.

" _I'm here. Who is this_?" He replied.

"That's not of importance to either of our sides right now." Annie replied. "I'm thinking that you'd like to talk about some of your friends, though."

A moment passed before a shaky voice answered once again.

" _Alright, let's talk_ _ **.**_ "

"Listen, I've got a Krystal, a Ruri, and an Akuma. I'm thinking those are some people you'd be wanting back."

There seemed to be another voice in the background before the replies stopped for a moment, making Annie pace back and forth a couple of times before Tenshi returned to the conversation.

" _Listen… We're going to work this out right now_ _ **.**_ "

"I'm listening." Annie announced.

" _This is the deal right here_ _ **.**_ " Tenshi informed coldly. " _Let them go and you can have your guy back and alive. That's right, we have one of yours_ _ **.**_ "

"3 for one?" Annie scoffed. "That's not much of a deal. Hell, that's not a deal at all."

" _You don't have another choice_." Tenshi replied. " _Or else you would have done something about it already. Look, I know you're going to talk it over… most likely. 3 women for one man. Just come out, we do this and then we walk away. Do we have a deal_?"

Annie paused before letting out a small sigh.

"Yah, we got a deal." Annie announced.

" _That's good_."

"There's a large field with a sign that says 'God is dead' about 2 miles into the West Magnolia forest. There's go visibility in all directions."

" _We'll meet you there. 10 minutes_?"

"10 minutes."

Annie returned the talkie to her belt and noticed Akuma's look of "I told you so", which caused her to scoff once again.

"There was no static—there should have been static. They're close. They're probably already here." Annie let out a loud sigh of frustration. "Dammit. We were careful, but there must have been tracks. We can't go through with this trade. They're going to kill us either way. They have weapons now. They know what they're doing."

"No, you can't back out now." Akuma warned. "They won't kill you. You have to listen to me, please. Tenshi, my _**husband**_ , is a man of his word. He wouldn't put Krystal, Ruri or I at risk to attack. Especially since Rory is with him right now."

"Then he's just as stupid as you are." Annie spat, grabbing for her gun as she turned to Alyssa. "We gotta get ready." She insisted. "Pull Julia out so she doesn't get stuck in a fight. We have to be ready to move at any second."

"What about the girls?" Alyssa questioned, motioning between Akuma and an unconscious Ruri.

"Leave them for now." Annie answered, pulling the door open the led out into the hall. "If we leave, we travel light. And if the pricks are here, we pick them off at the door. Let's go."

Akuma watched in silence as both Annie and Alyssa left the room, leaving her alone to her thoughts. Her heart was pounding erratically in her chest and she let out a deep, low breath. Her cheeks felt hot and wet from the tears, but she couldn't think about her breakdown now. Annie had gotten into her head, but she wasn't going to stay there. There was no longer any other choice. She had to kill these people.

Suddenly, she heard a deep intake of breath from across the room and she whipped her head up in surprise to see Ruri sitting up. What surprised her even more was the fact that the teen's hands were untied, scraps of duct-tape hanging loosely around her wrists.

"Took them long enough…" Ruri mumbled with a sigh, turning her attention to the tape around her legs. Akuma's jaw dropped.

"You were awake that whole time?" She demanded.

"No." Ruri admitted. "But it still gave me enough time to get free. You were a good distraction."

After several minutes, Ruri managed to work her way free and Akuma realized she had used the sharp rock that had been by Krystal's feet earlier to cut her bonds. Quickly, she crossed over to Akuma's side and freed her hands. Helping her to her feet, Ruri smiled lightly at her.

"Let's get Krystal and get the Hell out of here." She decided and Akuma nodded vigorously in agreement.

" _ **You don't have to tell me twice**_."


	57. No

"C'mon, Akuma…" Ruri ushered urgently. "We have to find Krystal."

A bead of sweat dripped down the tip of Akuma's nose.

"Just let me finish the last knot." She replied.

Akuma stared down at her work, her eyes moving from Marcus' tied waist to the pipe attached to the wall. She could see the man's fingers twitching a moment later, his eyes opened, but they were no longer brown; they were the yellowish gray of a starter Hebi. She wasn't entirely sure when he had gotten touched, but she was more than thankful for it. He was no longer their problem and was now actually an advantage.

Ruri grabbed Akuma by the shoulder and pulled her away from Marcus.

"That'll do." She insisted. "Now, we have to go."

Turning away from the Hebi Marcus, Akuma followed Ruri out of the room and closed the door softly behind her as she did so. The hallway was dim and smelt strongly of rust, but she had no doubt on where she was going. Odds were Julia had taken Krystal to the same place as she had taken her before and she knew the exact way.

"Follow me." Akuma ordered.

She crept down the halls, sticking close to the wall as she did so and she could practically feel Ruri's breath on her neck with how close she stood. Pausing in place, she listened closely for signs of Hebi's or Annie's return, but all was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet for her liking. Nevertheless, she continued on until she found the right door.

Bracing herself for Julia, Akuma instantly sighed in relief when she saw that only Krystal was in the room. She was up against one of the walls, rubbing her duct-taped hands along a sharp outing that stuck from a chair. Her eyes widened at the sight of them and Akuma shot forward, ripping the rest of the duct-tape from her wrists. As soon as Krystal was free, she rushed into Akuma's arms for a tight embrace.

"Are you alright?" She demanded. Akuma nodded against her shoulder and then pulled back, looking her in the eye.

"Are you?" She asked. "You didn't tell Julia anything, did you?"

"No." Krystal answered. "I didn't say a word—how did you get free?"

"We'll explain later." Ruri said. "Right now, we've gotta focus on getting out of here. They're spread out, but I think we can make it past them. We have to try, at least."

Akuma shook her head frantically.

"There's no leaving here quietly." She argued. "We can't leave them alive."

"What about what you said before?" Ruri asked with a frown. "You didn't want to kill anyone! You still don't have to, _**we**_ don't have to! We can just leave."

"That was before they gave me a reason to kill them." Akuma snarled. "We don't have a choice anymore, Ruri. If we let people live, they only come back to kill us later. No matter how long that is. We are not going to lose anyone this time. We have to go for them before they come for us."

"Akuma's right." Krystal agreed. "We have to finish this. We have to."

Out of nowhere, screaming began to fill the air and Akuma ran for the door, throwing it open. From here, she could see Alyssa thrashing around with the Hebi-turned Marcus. She could also see a gun dangling from her waistband and her eyes widened.

"We need that." Akuma whispered.

Krystal brushed past her, fury evident in her eyes, and Ruri and Akuma raced to catch up to her. Hiding in the shadows, Akuma could see the blood dripping profusely down Alyssa's shoulder as she shoved Marcus' body away and she knew the Hebi had left his mark. Alyssa was going to die either way and Krystal was only going to speed up the process.

Krystal approached Alyssa from behind and ripped the gun from the woman's waistband, using the butt of it to smack her harshly across the head. Alyssa cried out in pain as she went crashing to the floor, but she didn't even have a chance as Krystal leapt onto her, driving the gnu over and over into her head to save the bullet that might be needed later. Akuma watched from the doorway as blood and brains flew up, splattering Krystal in the face as she cried out in frustration. And then, just as quickly as the attack happened, Alyssa was dead and Krystal clambered to her feet again, gripping tightly to the gun.

"Let's go." She ushered breathlessly.

Akuma looked around her prison cell for what would hopefully be the last time and then she followed the older teen out of the room with Ruri following closely behind. They walked down one of the narrow hallways in silence, each searching for the exit and just when they found the way out, they found themselves blocked by a hallway full of chained up Hebi's. They began snarling widely at the sight of them and Krystal passed the gun to Ruri, who happened to be closest. She then reached for the knife, which also belonged to Alyssa and Akuma frowned at the realization that she was still unarmed. She shook that thought away because she didn't even need a weapon. She just had to let Krystal and Ruri take care of the Hebi's.

She examined the Hebi's closely, noticing how several of them were shoved through pikes whilst others were on the ground, moving with legs. Anything that would keep the in place was used there.

"They're using them to keep us in and the others out." Akuma stated.

"That's not a problem." Krystal replied, driving her blade through the side of one of the Hebi's heads. She went for another when suddenly the sound of gunshots rang in Akuma's ears.

Akuma ducked at the sound and turned away from the Hebi's, looking for the culprit because she knew it hadn't been Ruri. She didn't have to look very hard before her vision was filled with flaming orange fur Annie was making her way down the hall and even from here; Akuma could see the glistening of tears in her eyes. Annie continued to fire at them until her gun clicked, declaring that it was out of ammo.

At that opportunity, Ruri leapt up and raised her own gun towards the Exceed.

"Just run." She ordered.

"No." Krystal hissed. "Ruri, shoot her."

Annie glanced between the 3 of them before allowing her eyes to settle on Ruri.

"Listen to your friend." She mocked. "Just do it. Go on, now. You've killed Marcus… You killed Alyssa… Your people have destroyed everything. What's stopping you from pulling the trigger now?"

Akuma could see Ruri's hand trembling and the young girl took a deep breath.

"Just get out of here." She ordered again, but it almost sounded like a plea.

"Ruri…" Krystal growled, determined to reach her before Annie did. "Do it."

"You have no idea." Annie mumbled, pursing her lips. "The things I've done, what I've given up, what I had to do…"

Ruri had tears in her eyes and Akuma knew that she wasn't going to be able to kill Annie.

"Ruri, give me the gun." Akuma ordered, taking a step closer.

"The Mother thinks she can kill now, huh?" Annie asked with a snicker. "Well, go ahead. I lost everything a long time ago… No one is going to stop you."

Suddenly, Akuma heard a growl from behind and she gasped as a Hebi pulled free of its chains and reached for her. Taking a couple of steps back, Akuma collided with Ruri and she let out a yelp as she reflexively pulled the trigger, scrambling to get away from what she thought was an enemy. A shot rang out and somewhere, Annie screamed in pain. As Krystal discarded of the Hebi, Akuma whipped around to see Annie clutching at her now bloody arm.

"Annie?" A voice called out from further down the hall. Akuma could recognize Julia's voice anywhere and she grimaced.

"Take care of Annie." Akuma ordered, taking the knife from Krystal's hand. "I'll deal with Julia."

She didn't wait for a response as she crept past Annie who was crouched against the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held onto her arm, determined to stop the bleeding. As she walked further down the hall, Akuma heard Julia's voice and footsteps from around the corner and she froze, pushing herself up against the nearest wall. Raising the knife high, she held her breath as she waited for her to get close enough.

"Annie?" Julia called again, growing even closer. "Where are—"

And then she struck. Flying around the corner, Akuma swung her knife at Julia, but she easily dodged it and leapt back to regain her bearings. Akuma swiped again, but the other Exceed knocked the blade from her hands and she winced as she listened to it clatter on the floor. Without missing a beat, Akuma launched herself at Julia and wrapped her bare hands around her shoulders, shoving her up against the wall behind her.

Julia grunted in pain as she wrapped her fists around Akuma's jacket and brought her knee up, prepared to make contact. Thankfully, Akuma turned at the last moment and rather than taking the full force in her abdomen, she took the blow of Julia's knee in her ribs. Still, it was enough to knock her breathless and she gasped in pain as Julia took the advantage. With lightning speed, one of Julia's hands wrapped around Akuma's throat whilst the other grabbed her head by her fur and she spun the both of them around. Dizzily, Akuma cried out as her back smacked against the hard, brick wall.

Julia went in for a punch, but Akuma rose her foot up and delivered a solid kick to her opponent's stomach, sending her flying back against the opposite wall. Immediately, she bent down to scoop up Akuma's fallen knife and said Exceed's eyes widened at the fact that she was completely unarmed. Julia's eyes were burning with hatred.

"You psychotic bitch…" She snarled.

She took a slash at Akuma, but she jumped back, feeling herself slam against the wall again. Trapped, Julia went for another swipe and this time, she had made contact. A stinging pain instantly filled her abdomen and Akuma cried out, completely forgetting about the fight as she grasped at her shirt frantically. Pulling the shredded fabric up, her eyes landed on a large slash across her stomach were droplets of blood were already forming on the skin. A gasp escaped Akuma's lips as her thoughts instantly went to her eldest daughter. If that had happened to her nearly over a couple of weeks ago, she might've lost her own children. Akuma's _**grandchildren**_ …

Julia grinned sadistically at her slash.

" _ **Whoops**_ …" She snickered.

She swung her arm back, prepared for another swipe and Akuma couldn't even begin to explain what overcame her in the seconds that followed. Julia stormed forward, prepared to end Akuma's life, but just as the bloody knife was about to come in contact with her opponent's throat, Akuma grabbed her by the arm and her fingers wrapped forcefully around the blade. It bit at her skin and she could feel her blood trickling down her wrists, but she didn't let go until the blade was free of Julia's grasp. It fell to the ground, clattering as it made impact.

Unarmed, bloody, and breathless, Akuma stared at the woman in front of her and that woman stared back. Then, without hesitation, Akuma brought her fist across Julia's jaw and she stumbled back, but Akuma didn't stop. Launching at her, they fell to the ground in a heap where she had landed on top, one hand around the throat of the woman who tried to take her away from her family. Julia grasped at Akuma's bloody wrists, but they were too slick to get a firm hold on. She wiggled and squirmed, trying to get away, but she knew that she had already lost.

Falling still, Julia stared up into Akuma's eyes and for the first time since she'd met that woman, Akuma was seeing a genuine expression upon her face. _**Fear**_. It was then that Akuma noticed her lips were moving and she was trying to speak, but her grip on her windpipe was too tight. Loosening up, Akuma allowed her to speak what they both knew would be her final words.

" _ **Please**_ …" She begged. "Don't kill me."

Akuma froze. Those same words had been uttered by a certain teen from years ago when they were both only 17 and her body chilled at the realization. Yet, Akuma knew that this was no different. Neither Exceed deserved to continue living after what they had done. _**They didn't get to live**_. Akuma had already made up her mind. Gritting her teeth, her eyes narrowed and she tightened her grip around the woman's throat once again.

"I didn't want to…" Akuma whispered. "But you left me with no choice…"

And then she no longer had control of her fist as she drove it back and then down into Julia's face. Over and over, she pummelled the woman senseless and she could feel her warm blood splattering up onto her face, her arms and her chest. Julia groaned in pain, her cries loud at first, but then growing softer as her life slipped away. Strength she didn't know she had been brought forward and she felt a fire burning within her that could never be distinguished. Her knuckles were burning, the skin torn open by the blunt force of her blows, but she didn't step. Even after she had lost complete feeling in her right arm, she didn't stop. This was nothing like Kyler.

Akuma let out grunts and cries of frustration as she brought her fist across Julia's face, but she no longer knew what she was hitting. Julia was unrecognizable. It was just the carnage of bruised skin, blood and brains. If she wasn't already dead, it would only be a few seconds now. Tears began to fill Akuma's eyes as the anger subsided and she could no longer breathe through her sobs. Slowly, she fell off of Julia and crashed to the floor in a heap, clutching with bloody hands at her torn shirt.

 _ **Pain**_. That was all she could feel. There was pain in her hands, pain in her stomach, pain in her mind, and pain in everything that made up her existence. Her throat was closing up and she leaned forward, losing her stomach amongst a puddle of blood. She leaned her forehead against the cool floor and stared down at her battered and beaten hands. The knuckles were split to the bone. There wasn't a part of her arms that weren't stained red with blood.

"Akuma!"

The voice belonged to Krystal and almost a moment later, she felt arms around her waist, tugging her back to her feet. Her knees were trembling and she leaned against the younger Exceed, flinching as she felt blood, sweat and tears trickle down her cheeks. She held onto her tight, staring down at the carnage of blood below and Akuma swallowed weakly.

"I didn't want to…" Akuma insisted. "I'm sorry…"

Krystal turned away from the carnage and her eyes met Akuma's.

"It's okay." She reassured. "It's over and done. We're walking away together. Come on."

Akuma allowed Krystal to support her as they rounded the corner again, her eyes falling on Ruri who still held Annie under gunpoint. Annie chuckled at the sight of Akuma's bloody appearance.

"Would you look at that…?" She cackled. "You're good, Akuma… Red is a nice color on you."

"Shut up." Ruri hissed in Akuma's defense. Annie laughed again.

"Nervous little bird." She snickered, rising slowly to her feet as she clutched her arm. "You were her… but not now, right? Me, too…"

"I told you to run." Ruri whispered.

"If you could do all this…" Annie swallowed stiffly. "What were you so afraid of, Ruri?"

Ruri took a step closer to the orange-furred Exceed, tightening her grip on the gun and even from where she stood; Akuma could see that the teen had her finger curled around the trigger. Tears were forming in her eyes, but Akuma knew she was no longer questioning herself.

"I was afraid of this." She mumbled.

But before Ruri could pull the trigger, Annie launched at her and they both slammed back against the wall. Akuma started forward, trying to help, but Krystal held her back, knowing that she was in no shape to even attempt such a thing. Akuma held tightly onto Krystal as she watched Ruri quickly gain the upper hand, going as far as to shove Annie through one of the pikes that had previously held a Hebi. Annie let out a gasp as the pike shoved through her stomach and trapped her there.

And then the Hebi's swarmed the Exceed, some of them going for her legs whilst the others went for her face and neck. Annie let out bloodcurdling screams as her flesh was torn away, piece by piece and despite knowing that she was free of her, Akuma had to turn away from the sight. Annie's screaming quickly turned to gurgles and then she ultimately fell silent. The Exceed who had been determined to kill her was dead. She was dead and Akuma was alive. She had survived.

Suddenly, Akuma heard the sound of static and glanced down to see Annie's radio near her feet.

 _ **'Annie, we're approaching the perimeter. Are we a go?'**_

Akuma bent down to grab the radio, but Ruri got to it before she could. Tearfully, she put the device to her lips and took a small breath.

"Meet us on the kill floor." She ordered, imitating Annie's voice rather convincingly.

And then Ruri turned away from them and set down the hall with Krystal struggling to keep up with Akuma's weight in her arms. Moving into one of the nearby rooms with adjoining area, Akuma leaned back against the wall a Ruri and Krystal poured gasoline throughout the room. Whilst they did that, Akuma stared down at the single cigarette she held within her palm.

When the job was done, both women returned to Akuma's side as they waited for the reinforcements to show up. After several long minutes of silence, Ruri took a small breath.

"I think I might have killed 18 people… Now it's 19." She admitted weakly. "I should've killed Marcus, too. I had a clear shot—I didn't miss. None of this would've happened if I had just killed him."

"Don't think about it." Krystal advised.

"I can't stop." Ruri whispered.

"You don't have a choice. It'll drive you mad if you do." Akuma whispered. "You just have to learn to live with what you've done. Find a way to keep looking in the mirror even if some days it's harder than others. It's what I have to do. We're almost done, Ruri."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps through the slightly ajar door and Akuma knew it was Annie's reinforcements. She listened quietly, waiting for them to close the door behind them and when they finally did, Ruri reached for the cigarette in Akuma's hand, but she shook her head in protest. She was denying the young teen to do it, noticing how much that action would kill her if she went through with it alone.

Taking the lighter into her hands, she caught the cigarette aflame and stared down at the smoke for a moment, wondering how something so small could hurt so much. Then, without another thought, Akuma tossed the cigarette into the room with the reinforcements and watched as the floor caught fire. Screams of agony immediately filled Akuma's ears, but Krystal quickly closed the door before it became too overwhelming. Unfortunately, nothing could be done for the way the Seekers pounded on the door, desperate to get free as they were burned alive.

Ruri pursed her lips as she stared up at Akuma tearfully.

"Thank you…" She whimpered. Akuma ignored her gaze and stared straight ahead.

"Don't mention it." She replied swiftly.

And then Akuma began to walk, the tremble in her knees disappearing as she went. Her hands were sticky with blood, both dry and fresh, but she could no longer feel the pain. She had gone completely numb. All that mattered now was getting out of there and never going back.

She allowed a hand to run across her stomach and then glanced down at the cut which had already stopped bleeding. It didn't look deep, but how could she be sure?

The same sort of thing happened accidentally during her pregnancy with Fate and she had been so scared for her first daughter, but she came along perfectly healthy aside from her Nightmare Disorder and a small scar along her stomach. She had technically lost Fate 14 years ago, or 7 if you didn't count the time skip they had all got caught up in. She had left her daughter, thinking only of protecting her, when really she had just ripped her apart slowly.

She wasn't a capable Mother. If anything else happened to her kids, it was entirely her fault. Nothing else could be said.

Letting the fabric drop, Akuma continued walking.

After what felt like forever, she had found the exit to the warehouse and she couldn't have been happier. With Krystal and Ruri behind her, Akuma grabbed the handle to the door, no longer caring for what might've been waiting on the other side. Then, as the door slid open, revealing more than just dull light, her eyes filled with tears and the lighter she was holding clattered to the ground at her feet.

" _ **Tenshi**_ …" Akuma sobbed.

The love of her life, Tenshi Konno, stood before her with a gun held tightly in his hand, but as soon as he caught sight of her, he dropped the gun and pulled her tightly into his arms. Over his shoulder, she could see 3 of the others from their Guild in his group: Rory, Aaron and none other than their son and first child, Henkou. Janiyah ran in shortly after and Akuma only caught a glimpse of her before burying her face into Tenshi's shoulder. They were safe, at least…

One of Tenshi's hands found the back of her head, holding her to his chest, and she wrapped her arms weakly around his neck. If it wasn't for him, she would have surely fallen to the ground. She pressed her lips to his neck and her body shook violently with sobs as she apologized over and over again.

Tenshi pulled back, holding Akuma at a distance so that he could see her better. His eyes took in her bloodied arms and torn clothing, causing his face to fall.

"What the Hell happened in there?" He demanded. "Are you hurt?"

"They tried—" Akuma broke off weakly. "They hit home."

His eyes widened in shock and she fell back into him again so she wouldn't have to see his expression any longer. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Tenshi buried his face in her neck and his hands squeezed her hips in reassurance.

"They're dead. All of them. We killed them." Akuma announced shakily. "But Tenshi—" She broke off again as another sob tore through her chest. "I didn't want to—I didn't want to—"

He brushed a hand softly over her cheeks, wiping away at the fresh blood.

"Akuma, breathe." He whispered. "It's okay. Calm down. You're okay. _**Breathe**_."

Akuma took in a shaky breath, apologizing once again, the words incoherent.

"It's okay." Tenshi whispered softly. "It doesn't matter. You're safe. That's all that matters."

Crying, Akuma fell back into Tenshi's arms and he stroked he fur softly as she struggled to regain her composure. He held her tightly and at that point, it was the only thing keeping her together. She could smell the smoke drifting through the air from deeper in the building and she grimaced.

"Did you start the fire?" Tenshi asked. Akuma simply nodded. "We found your trail." He added a moment later to which in return, he received another nod. He frowned at her responses. "Hey…" He mumbled, grabbing her chin and tilting her head upwards. "Are you okay?"

Staring deeply into Tenshi's forest green eyes Akuma couldn't help but feel another strong wave of tears build behind her eyes. If she blinked, she knew the dam would break once again and she feared that she wouldn't be able to come back from it. Pulling away from Tenshi, she grasped at her stomach and shook her head softly, forcing the word from her mouth.

" _ **No**_."


	58. Ratriz & Antistes

Marcy was breathless. Stabbing one annoying Vampire seemed easy enough, but when a big group of them stormed the Guild, she was lost at what to do. She just stared and wondered how she could be of help to the ones who were fighting. Occasionally, she'd have to fight off a Vampire or 2, but other than that, she felt useless.

That's when a black-furred Exceed ripped through the Guild at lightning speed, her eyes a crystal blue and flashing lavender as she looked up with a smirk. Even with the playful smirk, Marcy could see the murderous attempt in the woman's eyes. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around, seeming to nod a little bit before she let out a groan, dropping her hands back to her sides.

"So, which one of you killed Damashi?" She asked sternly, her voice loud and clear for everyone to hear.

Marcy stiffened at the mention of a murder, knowing that it was mostly likely her. The action didn't go unnoticed by the woman mere feet away from her, but she snickered before bursting into laughter. It made Marcy frown and nearly glare.

"So…" The woman started, taking a couple more steps towards Marcy. It made the smaller girl back up a couple of steps, raising her arms out in front of her with her dominant hand holding her small stake. " _ **You**_ killed Damashi?" She snickered again. "That's hilarious. Look at you… a little future serial killer, just like your Mother."

Suddenly, the woman froze and let out a small gasp before nearly doubling over, reaching around at her back. A stake was sticking out of it, Micah a foot or 2 away. Damn, her brother could aim even if he had just started getting accustomed to walking on his own 2 feet. She let out a groan of frustration, turning to the boy as the stake fell to the ground, clattering as it did so. Micah obviously didn't send the stake to the right spot, or it just didn't make as much impact as he planned it to.

"How _**dare**_ you stake me _**in the back**_!? How would you like that for yourself!?" She asked before turning halfway back around. "Or for your sister, you little shit."

Micah seemed to freeze, rethinking his actions as the woman laughed again.

"Who are you?"

She turned, meeting Marcy's gaze. The girl's hazel eyes seemed angered by the obvious fact that Micah seemed to feel guilty about something that was entirely okay in that moment. Her crystal blue eyes shined with curiosity as she looked over Marcy, who she knew wasn't even a year old at that point.

"My name is Ratriz." She replied, looking around the guild once more. "It's nice to finally meet the both of you. Marceline and Michael, was it? It doesn't matter. I've heard so much about your Mother, but it seems that I won't be meeting her today. So I'll have to settle for _**second best**_."

Marcy let herself glare at Ratriz's emphasized comment. She was being cruel… Such is the fate of a wrongly-raised Vampire. Marcy could tell from where she stood. She didn't know how or why, but she did. Ratriz didn't ever have parents or anyone to look up to. Just herself, and now she had this war.

It was then that Ratriz decided to strike, making Marcy freeze in disbelief at her speed. Just at the older Exceed was about to bring her hand down to hurt the younger one, she was trapped in a rough ball of ice. Marcy only had to glance up to see that it had been Miharu, who had returned with Ryeluen by her side, before settling her gaze back on the trapped Exceed. She didn't seem desperate to escape however. She just seemed curious about the structure. That was before she scoffed.

"If you really cared about your Mother, why did you let her fall into depression like she did?" Ratriz asked.

 _ **Depression**_ … Marcy had only heard that word being used amongst the adults after her Mother wouldn't leave her partner's side for nearly 2 weeks. What did it mean? Marcy wanted to ask, but for some reason, she felt as if it wasn't a question that she could ask Ethan simply. He couldn't reply simply with a definition or alternate words… Hell, he had only been awake once since e had gotten shot. Maybe he'd never be the same again, even for her and her Mother.

"She really had it going on when she was merely just growing a little more. You know, Tenroujima and stuff… When she could feel threats around the corner and could make even the smallest, shortest comment mean something. She was happier then, you know… _**Without the both of you**_ …"

Without being able to stop herself, Marcy launched forward with her stake in hand and she brought it down, breaking the ice surrounding Ratriz so she could get to the Vampire herself. Her Mother was fine. She wasn't a God damn serial killer and she sure as anything was _**not**_ unhappy. She was fine. She was fine. She was fine.

"Dang girl…" Ratriz commented on the little kid's sudden behaviour, quickly backing away from her even though she wouldn't make it far.

"Marceline, don't do it!" She heard someone yell.

"Please be careful!" Another yelled straight after.

Why did they care? It wasn't as if this fight was theirs. It was just Marcy and Ratriz. 2 very different Vampires… except, Marcy was also a Demon and that was her advantage.

"I can do it if you just let me!" Marcy screamed, stopping everything around her from continuing and she climbed and crawled over the ledge of ice in front of her. Ratriz was going down no matter how she was going to get her ticket _**punched**_.

Marcy lurched forward and got ready to stake Ratriz, but the older Exceed disappeared somehow. It wasn't Teleportation Magic or her presence would've vanished, but Marcy was now fighting an invisible enemy. **Invisible** … Was that just it?

Suddenly, shards of ice broke off from their little battle dome and flew straight at Marcy, who didn't have time to react as she got hit, dropping the stake that was held tightly in her hand a moment ago. She couldn't hear it clatter to the ground though because her blood was roaring in her ears, drops and streams of it slipped out other parts of her body from the new cuts all over her. They were from the ice and even though that was cold, the cuts burned and stinged.

Suddenly, Marcy was on the ground and was being held down by what was revealed moments later to be none other than Ratriz, who had pinned the little girl down by her arms, leaving her to kick her legs and squirm around desperately. All too quickly, Ratriz was suddenly off of the little Seo and was hovering in the air as Marcy backed up a bit.

"Marceline!"

Marcy looked up to meet Micah's gaze. Beads of sweat were rolling down the sides of his face as he held his hands up and Marcy noticed why. Darkness Manipulation Magic… Micah was taking up all of his energy to use it in order to help her. His small grin was a little smug, however.

"Yah, you're welcome!" He said a little sarcastically.

Marcy puffed her cheeks out childishly as she seemed to pout a bit, a bit of an unamused look spread across her face. She grabbed her stake and got onto her feet with a small sigh, glaring at Ratriz before she drove the stake into the older Exceed's chest, watching as she shattered. Then everyone else watched as she disappeared from sight in a second and even though everyone got worried, Micah only sighed.

"Um… Marcy?" He asked as if waiting for some kind of thank you or apology. And he got one.

"Alright…" Marcy sighed, being heard even though she couldn't be seen. "I shouldn't have tried to fight Ratriz on my own. From now on, we'll fight them team-style."

"Okay, " _ **team**_ "…" Micah started with a small smile. "You're still invisible."

Marcy let out a small laugh, appearing beside her twin brother as she laid her arms over his shoulder. Her smile seemed to have a little shame in it.

"I should've told you about the whole "kill and gain powers" thing as well…" She sighed, making Micah nod. But now that you know, I don't have to apologize, right?"

"I'll let it slide. Mom can have fun with that instead."

* * *

The temperature of the Guild dropped as quickly as it seemed to rise. As the Guild doors both opened, everyone got to their feet and expected someone to walk in, but instead they noticed a man standing at the door. He bowed his head a bit, keeping his arms at his sides as he spoke a simple question that no one was expecting.

"May I come in?"

The man had pale skin and wore a black coat that matched his neatly parted hair. Other than that, he wore a simple button-up shirt and a simple pair of dark blue jeans, his shoes being black as well. He wasn't very tall, but he wasn't small enough for you to mistake him as a child, and his eyes were unmistakably a dark brown.

Since he asked so nicely, everyone was frozen in shock. Except for Mira, who smiled sweetly.

"Why, of course you may!" She replied, making everyone unfreeze and nearly yell at her in shock.

"Mira-nee, what are you doing?" Lisanna asked for everyone. Mira turned to her younger sister, still smiling.

"Well since he asked us so nicely, I decided to let him in." She replied.

Lisanna couldn't respond to her older sister's comment as the man made his way into the Guild, the doors shutting behind him as if on his command. He stood at the bottom of one of the small flights of stairs that actually lead into the Guild Hall before looking around, landing his eyes on Mira.

"Why are you here, sir?" She asked politely.

"Antistes." He corrected her "sir" with his name. "I have a proposition and would like to speak to…" He paused, as if trying to remember a name. "I believe its Marceline."

Everyone took a moment before Romeo suddenly charged forward.

"I won't let you touch her!" He yelled, charging at the man with Fire Magic at hand.

However, Antistes swung his arm out and that enough was able to send Romeo into the ground behind the man, who casually sat at a table and seemed to be waiting for Marcy to sit across from him. So, the little Exceed hovered over to the table and sat cross-legged on the tabletop, staring him down as she kept her arm ready to reach for her stake if needed. It probably would be.

"You're just a kid, like I was told." Antistes stated, but Marcy didn't let her guard down at all.

"What did you say about some sort of "proposition"?" She asked, making sure that her voice didn't waver as she spoke. Everyone's eyes were watching closely and they were ready to strike all together if Antistes made one wrong comment or move.

"Listen to me." He said, and Marcy twitched her ears a bit to show that she was. "If you keep going as you are with murdering your own kind, it will call for trouble. You will never be able to beat Basileus, our King."

Marcy let out a small sigh.

"Alright, what do you want?" She asked, getting a little annoyed.

"The truth is that I hate Basileus as much as you would. He's a total dink." Antistes stated. "I came looking for you because I want to team up."

"And what if I stake you, gank your powers, and actually _**win**_?" Marcy asked.

"Here's the thing, kid. You need me. I don't know how, but Basileus gained some sort of power-up and he hasn't lost against anyone since. Not even the greatest Vampire hunters around, who wished to take his title for themselves." Antistes explained, making Marcy think about all of it.

"Alright, say we do work together…" Marcy started, hovering around Antistes a little menacingly. "You _**have**_ to _**give up**_ drinking _**Human blood**_."

"I'm a Vampire, Marceline. Drinking blood is necessary."

"But you can eat or drink anything that's red and it'll be the same thing. Or, you can drink blood from animals. _**Not**_ endangered ones, however, and _**no**_ taking more blood than you need from them. Us Vampires can go without blood for a month and be fine, just no longer or it'll start to hurt us in more ways than one." Marcy explained to the Vampire man. "I think that's pretty fair, Antistes."

Antistes seemed to take a moment before he sighed a bit, going silent once again before suddenly turning partially into a bat, heading straight for Marcy. He was a Shapeshifter. The young Exceed went invisible, agitating the older Vampire.

"Look at yourself, Marceline! You're just a hapa demon punk; blind to price you must pay for such murderous powers!" Antistes growled. "Show yourself!"

"Well, since you asked…"

Marcy suddenly appeared behind him, stake in hand as she drove it into the man's chest from behind.

"You don't need to worry about me, Antistes." Marcy stated a little coldly. "I only kill Vampires who threaten me or my Guild and my friends."

And then the older Vampire shattered, giving Marcy a moment to clear her mind before she sat down on the tabletop again with a small groan, feeling a headache starting.

"What about team-style, Marcy?" Micah asked his twin sister with a pout, making her smile softly at him.

"Sorry. It was in the spur of the moment, I guess." Marcy stated apologetically before frowning.. "Let's hope that we don't have to team-style against Basileus…"

Micah nodded.


	59. I'm Saying It To You Now

**A/N:** **When Fate tells Destiny that they're going to get out of where they are, I can imagine this {** watch?v=MfZF-zetIzs &index=23&list=PL4A9D52A9C1636D1B **} playing as they start to walk. The flute part, at least.  
**

* * *

Fate's head ached as she slowly opened her eyes only to be blinded by dim light. She raised her hand only to be unable to feel her torso… or at least, more like it was very numb. She stared around, confused by the light, and then stared down at her body, lifting her shirt a bit to see that her abdomen was bandaged. The thing that worried her was the big black, purplish bruises running up both of her sides. Along where her ribs were, from what she could tell.

"Hey…" She mumbled a bit, trying to call out as she watched the light in her eyes fade away to reveal that she was sitting in a dim room.

"Fate, thank God!" A voice sighed in relief from her far right. She turned her head stiffly to see Destiny sitting down beside her, putting a hand to her forehead. "I was starting to think you'd never wake up."

"I'm here…" She reassured before looking around at the empty room. "Where are we?"

"Hiding out in a house…" Destiny replied a little sheepishly. "I needed to get you away from everything dangerous and opted to hide out for awhile. Oh God, I'm so sorry, Fate."

"For what…?" Fate asked with confusion evident in her tone.

"I'm supposed to protect you! It's supposed to be simple, too! First, I bring a group down on you and some of the others, in which I don't want to know what would've happened if Tristan hadn't ripped Rick's throat out like he did. And then secondly, I let the Hebi's take off after the both of you because I didn't bother to try and save Sage. I'm such an idiot!" He grumbled to himself.

"Calm down." Fate ordered, reaching out a hand and placing it against his scarred cheek. "None of this is your fault… And even though I think otherwise, I know that it's neither of our faults. It's easy to forget the dangers that this world holds. We're going to get through this, though."

Destiny nodded, reaching up to hold her hand against his scarred cheek with his own, placing his forehead against hers gently. Fate was waiting for him to ask about Tristan, but he stayed silent. Maybe he could guess because she had his gun with her… or maybe he just didn't want to accept the death of a friend. She didn't want to either, so it was understandable.

Fate remained silent with her eyes closed for a couple of minutes before she sighed a bit, feeling Destiny's eyes resting on her as they had been since she had stopped talking. She opened her eyes to make instant contact with his, noticing that Destiny was smiling a little bit.

"Why do you stare at me all the time?" Fate asked slowly and softly. Destiny sighed.

"I like watching your expressions." He answered and Fate was surprised that he didn't give an excuse. "You don't react typically like everyone else. You're different."

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked. Destiny shook his head.

"I haven't decided yet." He replied with a small smirk.

Fate could feel Destiny's breathing on her cheek as she realized that he hadn't backed away and before she could comprehend it, his lips were being pressed to hers. His arms wound around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to take in the feeling so that she could remember it later. Destiny's lips were warm against hers and it made her shiver as the cold air around them tried to interfere. She felt him grin as she pulled back, curling up against him as she shivered again.

"Cold…?" He asked softly, gaining a nod from her. "Are you ready to get moving then? We still have a war to win."

Fate looked up at him again and couldn't help but smile as she nodded.

"Yah… We all have jobs to do and we have to go through with them." She stated, moving to get onto her feet when suddenly, she couldn't gather the energy to do it. "Ugh, nevermind… Put my job on hold…"

She swore that she heard Destiny chuckle a bit and it made her sigh. An arm suddenly slipped under her knees and another supported her back. Fate laughed as she wrapped her arms around Destiny's neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck as he readjusted her a bit before beginning to walk towards the door.

"You're small." Destiny commented. Fate punched his chest lightly.

"Shut up…" She mumbled, watching her feet sway back and forth. Destiny chuckled again before getting serious.

"You need to open the door for me, Fate, and keep watch with gun in hand. I can't exactly shoot, nonetheless hold anything else, while I'm holding you." He stated, making her nod as she grabbed Tristan's gun from her waistband and held it tightly in one hand, reaching the other out to grab the handle.

As soon as her fingertips touched the handle, she grabbed it and turned it, swinging the door open enough for Destiny to go through it, looking around for the best way to get somewhere without trouble for a little while. When he started in a direction, Fate unintentionally zoned out as she rested against Destiny's chest, breathing in his scent as much as she could. Who knows when they'd get separated again?

She pushed her elbows against her sides gently where she could feel the big, harsh bruises along her ribs burning and aching alongside the swollen kneecap she could see through a rip in her leggings. She sighed, but breathing was starting to hurt a little bit as she looked down at her pale fur, which didn't even look gray anymore. Every inch of her body was covered either in dirt or blood.

She tried to swallow but her tongue felt like sandpaper at that point. She was probably dehydrated and she could no longer tell how many hours or even days might've passed since this whole stupid wore had started. She had been in and out, back and forth, side to side, you name it. She couldn't be sure of too many things.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't force any tears out. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't get any words out. She wanted to walk beside Destiny and not be a burden to him, but she couldn't move too much for some reason. Maybe she was finally too damaged to function.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked up at Destiny when he asked the question, giving a small shrug.

"A little sore…" She muttered, using her free hand to wipe away some dirt on her face. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she turned her head slowly back to Destiny, who was watching her intently. "I feel as disgusting as you look."

Destiny let out a laugh at that, knowing that they were both covered in dirt, sweat and blood—both theirs and others. He opened his mouth to make a comment, but the both suddenly heard a siren ring out loud and clear all throughout Magnolia. They looked up, unable to see it anything that would give off the horrible sound.

"What _**is**_ that…?" Fate asked, putting her hands over her ears as she tried to drown out the sound. Destiny shook his head to tell her that he didn't know, worrying her even more.

"We're heading back to the Guild…" He mumbled, making Fate wonder how she could hear him over the loud screech of the siren. "We'll find out what it is when we get back."

" _ **If**_ we get back!"

Destiny was confused by Fate's words before he turned around, realizing what Fate meant. Hebi's had heard the siren too, of course, along with Seekers, who were all focused on the 2 of them and each other. It was a 3 way war now.

"Put me down!" Fate ordered.

Without hesitation, Destiny did as he was told by his girlfriend and quickly put her down onto her own 2 feet, pulling out his own gun as he looked around, searching for the best option. He opted to take down a man aiming for him before quickly taking down a Hebi that was getting too close. It wasn't long until he and Fate split up, taking off to attend to their own halves. He had no doubt that she would be okay.

He noticed a man aiming for him and instantly rose his gun up, prepared to fire when a sudden and horrible pain shot up his leg. Destiny let out a bloodcurdling scream that he didn't know he was even capable of making, dropping to his knees and gripping her calf where he could feel warm, sticky blood dripping down his leg.

Tears filled his eyes as she stared down at the bloody bullet wound and then glanced up towards the man that had shot him, firing a shot right back at him that instantly killed him. Destiny bit his bottom lip, holding back a cry of agony as he tried to grip onto the wound tighter as if his pure strength could stop the bleeding. He didn't know if he was numb from the shot itself or the pain it should've been causing, but he could barely feel due to the shock clouding over his mind.

He had felt these feelings once before, long before he had met Fate. It was when he and Akina found Namine, only to have the sisters' reunion ruined by Eleri trying to kill one or both of them. He didn't know what had come over him, but he took the hit for him. The scar along his chest was painful proof that it had happened and Destiny didn't regret what he had done. He didn't regret the bullet in his leg either. He was trying to protect himself and the love of his life. He couldn't be happier for the pain he was feeling in that moment.

Destiny reached up to wipe away the tears on his cheeks, not having noticed them before that moment, when suddenly an intense, burning pain quickly filled his stomach and he fell back to his knees again, gasping for breath. When had he tried to get up in the first place? Nonetheless, Destiny had been shot again, but this time the bullet found its home in his side.

His eyes instantly blurred and he felt the entire front of his shirt grow wet with blood. He gasped to keep the air moving through his lungs and he dropped down onto his side, curling in on himself as he felt tears stream across the bridge of his nose before dripping onto the ground underneath him.

Destiny swallowed weakly and raised his head up to see who his shooter was and then he saw him. He was a middle aged man, a smirk evident on his face as he cocked his gun, quickly approaching Destiny. Destiny let his head drop down to the cement and found solace watching his blood form a pool below him. He reached forward, allowing one of his fingers run through it. It felt warm and thick. He then stared up towards the dim sky, which the little bit a light was instantly cut off by his killer above him.

The man raised his gun and prepared to fire when suddenly blood hit his face, but it wasn't Destiny's. He watched as the man dropped to his knees, a bullet right between his eyes, and then collapsed onto the ground right beside him. Destiny stared at his eyes which were still open even in death and then suddenly, someone began shaking him harshly.

"Destiny!" They screamed. "Destiny, stay with me!"

Destiny turned his head groggily and let out what he wasn't sure was a groan or a sigh of relief as his eyes fell on the person who started his entire rampage through the streets of Magnolia. Fate Konno herself.

Fate instantly put her gun back into its spot in her waistband and pulled Destiny's limp arm around her neck. She then wrapped her other arm tightly around his waist and he was surprised when she managed to pull him to his feet, especially while she was still injured as well. Although she seemed to have no problem supporting his full weight, Destiny could tell that she was struggling due to their height differences.

"We… We need—"

"Shh…" Fate ordered, cutting him off. "We're going to get out of here."

They started to walk soon after. Fate was basically dragging Destiny forward while he tried his best not to be a liability, pulling him forward through the dead streets of Magnolia. Their eyes constantly landed on several Hebi's that were too busy feasting on all the dead bodies to even notice them. Destiny looked around weakly, his eyes continuing to droop as he fought valiantly against the great urge to fall asleep against Fate right then and there.

"Come on, Destiny… Stay awake…" Fate ushered softly in his ear, her arm wrapped tightly around his waist. It was tighter than before and he wondered if it was because she was afraid or if it was because her grip had been slipping. Had it been?

He knew that he and Fate were struggling to keep a steady pace due to their injuries and they were both basically dragging each other forward, their arms wrapped around one another, their hips pressed together to keep the weight between them level because they both had bad legs now. Blood was still dripping out of his side and his entire shirt was stiff with sweat and blood, but he wouldn't risk stopping to address to it. Not in the middle of the street.

"I'm trying…" Destiny mumbled back to her drowsily. He leaned his head softly on Fate's shoulder as they continued walking and he kept his lip between his teeth to keep from crying out in pain with each step that he shakily took.

"We're going to be okay." Fate said softly.

"What?" Destiny asked hoarsely. He swallowed, his throat congested with blood.

"We're going to be okay…" Fate repeated with a more stable, soft tone. "That's usually what everyone tells me, so I'm saying it to you now. I can't promise it because I don't want to break a promise, but I don't care if it comes to be a lie. At least I'm _**trying**_ to be honest. So, we're going to be okay, alright?"

Destiny was silent for a moment before he let out a shaky breath, nodding a little bit.

"Yah… Alright…"


	60. Aisley: Ethan's Healing Eye

Hotaru's shoes felt heavy as they smacked against the concrete of Magnolia's streets. She was trying to look for the others while staying out of the way of Seekers, going surprisingly unnoticed as she dashed past them. However, after being separated from her small group, she hadn't seen any of her Guildmate's. She refused to think of the worst case scenarios though. She absolutely refused to.

Suddenly, she felt an immense amount of magic power an realized that she had ran straight in the middle of a fight, causing her to shriek and dash off as fast as she could, opting to dive under and abandoned table in an alleyway. She stayed there for a moment, head down and completely still, before hearing the breathing of someone else.

Slowly and cautiously, she looked up to meet the violet blue eyes of another girl who was probably around her age. Her hair was dark brown and she was looking at Hotaru curiously. Hotaru held a hand to her head, wondering if the girl was real or not. Did it matter at that point?

"Are you hiding under here, too?" Hotaru asked with a small smile. The girl gave her a small smile back.

"Yes… I don't like getting in the way of others, especially when they're fighting." She replied, making Hotaru nod in understanding.

"I'm sorry for joining you unexpectedly. My name is Hotaru." Hotaru introduced herself.

"It's okay. I'm Aisley." The girl introduced herself back, smiling a bit more. Hotaru's smile grew.

Hotaru could tell from Aisley's clothing that she was on the Seeker's side, but that didn't bother her. She believed that anyone could have a conversation with anyone else in the world regardless of which side they were on or what age they might be, etc. Maybe she was just too nice for her own good.

"It looked like it was gonna be a nice day before the sun disappeared… sorta…" Hotaru stated softly, trying to start a conversation.

"Yah, it did. I'm a little upset that Lucifera's resurrection requires this… or it caused this, I can't remember it exactly." Aisley explained a little sheepishly.

"May I ask why you Seekers want to resurrect someone so dangerous?" Hotaru asked, letting out a small sigh of relief when Aisley nodded.

"I don't know too much, so I can share with you. Besides, you seem really nice." Aisley replied before seeming to clear her throat. "It's said that if you gather the Angel of Darkness, the Angel of Light, the Little One, Skyward, Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald all in one place along with the Keys of Jade and Crimson, then whoever resurrected Lucifera, the AoD, and their followers will gain true freedom."

Hotaru was quiet for a moment.

"What are you trying to gain freedom from? Or for?" Hotaru asked, making Aisley shrug a bit.

"We all have our separate reasons. For me, personally, I want to be free from this world. It's pretty shitty for me. It wouldn't have affected anyone except for the fact that the AoD would be hanging around." Aisley explained.

"That's enough to be anxious about." Hotaru stated, making the older girl shrug again.

"I suppose…" Aisley mumbled. "So, Hotaru… Are you going to try and stop me? Are we going to have to fight?"

Hotaru frowned and took a moment to herself before nodding a bit, looking up at Aisley once again, but that time with a determined look.

"For my Guild… yes, I have to."

* * *

" _ **Destiny**_ …"

Someone was shaking his shoulder and a faint voice echoed in his ear. His entire body felt stiff like a board and his muscles ached. He yearned to be able to stretch out his legs or his arms, but he couldn't move at all. In fact, it hardly felt like he could open his eyes. Again, Destiny felt the harsh shake and a warm hand on his shoulder, and when he finally found the strength to open his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with none other than Fate. She was sitting beside him on what felt like a bed and her eyes were widened, her lips chapped, and she looked frantic.

Destiny very stiffly managed to shift his head to the side and instead of answering to Fate immediately; he took a moment to verify his surroundings because he felt extremely disoriented. They were both in the Guild's infirmary and he was resting in a bed, bullet wounds probably having been tended to as there were bandages wrapped around his torso and his calf.

For some strange reason, he didn't even remember lying down and he couldn't feel the non-forgotten pain of the bullets he had given home to in his small body. He hated to admit it, but he was still just a fragile as Fate was or even Ethan at that point. He swallowed slowly, his throat dry and raw, and he felt tears in his eyes just because of the pain from it.

He still felt Fate's eyes on him continuously and he brought his eyes back to hers.

"What is it?" He croaked out, making Fate sigh in relief.

"You were talking in your sleep, it's nothing really…" She mumbled. Destiny frowned.

"What did I say?" He asked hoarsely, watching as Fate went pink and shook her head, telling him that it was nothing important.

"You were mumbling incoherent things, man… At some point, we both heard Fate's name."

Destiny looked up to see Ethan sitting up in the bed beside the pair of Exceeds. Destiny smiled a bit, noticing that even though Ethan wasn't standing, he was strong enough to hold himself up with some support, but very little was needed. His grin was slowly coming back and even though Destiny could tell that where he used to have a right eye was swollen, even around the bandage attempting to cover it, he could also tell that his cheek was starting to heal. They were going to be okay. They just needed to finish this war…

"So, is your eye doing okay?" Destiny asked, the realization of what he might've been mumbling in his sleep settling in his mind.

Although he changed the subject, he could feel his cheeks burning bright pink just as Fate's still were. Ethan chuckled at the question and the pinkness of the Exceed couples' faces before reaching up to the white gauze that wrapped around his head, carefully pulling it off so the both of them could come face-to-face with the new face of Ethan.

His eye was healing, they had to admit, but it was far from full recovery. A part of Fate would probably never grow accustomed to seeing Ethan with only one eye. She could still see bits of bone and places that his skin hadn't grown over yet. Thankfully, it hadn't bled in awhile and that had to be a good sign. The surrounding area of the socket, as Destiny had suspected, was still swollen and Ethan himself was hesitant to touch it.

"Do I look like something out of a Horror movie yet?" He asked softly, trying to lighten the mood with his little joke before he slipped the white gauze back over his head, leaning back against the headboard of the infirmary bed once again. "It's weird, but I feel full of energy again. So… that's good."

"It's great." Fate corrected with a small smile, making Ethan smile back at his partner.

Destiny then gathered up all of his remaining strength and pushed himself up, trying to sit like Ethan was. He didn't make it far before Fate gave him sympathetic looks, helping him sit to try and calm his muscles that had just been working too hard. He let out a breath he didn't realize that he had been holding, coughing a bit as Fate held a hand to against his cheek, worry evident in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Are you okay…?" She asked softly, gaining a nod in reply. She sighed a little bit, looking down at the bed. She could feel Destiny's eyes on her, but she only glanced up a little bit to meet them. "Why are you staring at me?" She questioned, finally breaking the silence.

"I like watching your expressions…" He replied. That same conversation took her back to about not even an hour before they ended up in the Guild's infirmary with Destiny injured fairly badly.

"You shouldn't… You won't like the expression I'll have when I truly break from the reality that is this world." Fate stated softly.

"I'll be the judge of that _**if it ever happens**_." Destiny stated back, his tone also soft.

Fate nodded a little bit, feeling one of Destiny's hands running along her arm. He pulled her into him, trapping her against chest before bending down, prepared to press his lips to hers, but she turned her head at the last second, causing his lips to merely graze her cheek and ear. He sighed in annoyance while she simply giggled, only for Destiny to grip her chin in his fingers, holding her still so he could finally kiss her.

His lips were still warm against her own regardless of him being shot twice and Fate couldn't help but smile playfully against the kiss. Destiny slowly let his hands drop from her face and back to her waist as Fate wrapped her own arms around his neck. She let her fingers knot in his fur as she held him close, dreading the moment she would have to let go. Unfortunately, that moment arrived much faster than she anticipated as she pulled back, allowing her forehead to rest against his for a moment longer.

"I love you…" Fate whispered.

"I love you, too…" He replied with a small smile.

Suddenly, Ethan cleared his throat awkwardly, making them both jump before pulling away from each other out of embarrassment, making Ethan laugh at them, only to earn a small glare from his partner.

"It's like a damn Romance novel." He joked, making them both go an even darker pink than they had been.

"Don't be mean." Fate stated, making her partner chuckle more.

That was when Marcy rushed into the room, only needing to slam open the door to get the attention she needed to catch. Her eyes were wide and fear was slightly evident in them before she shook her emotions away as she caught her breath, running too fast in such a short distance.

"It's time for you to fight!"


	61. Goodnight, Konno

**A/N: This goes back to a couple hours before the last chapter, just a heads up...**

Akuma found herself staring down at her gauze-covered hand that was throbbing erratically. The swollen skin was a mixture of red, blue and purple, and the bandages that covered it were spotting with blood as it slowly soaked through them. Mira had diagnosed her hand injury as a 'boxer fracture' and had prescribed her with drugs to help with the pain, but they were wearing off pretty fast. Still, despite the agony she felt, she didn't regret the cause of it. Julia deserved it.

Akuma couldn't stop thinking about the way she had killed the woman. She had never done something so brutal before. She had only ever beaten another person to death and that had been a certain 17 year old boy named Kyler who had caused her the most pain in her life. He had raped her in an alleyway and played it off like she was his anyways and even after Tenshi helped her with getting him arrested, he broke out of his prison cell and was sentenced to death by none other than herself because she beat him to death. She had no given choice as to what she did back then.

The same rules applied to Julia. She had threatened to kill her and the others, so there was no chance at her surviving. You can't trust anyone once they've threatened to kill you. They'll always want to kill you and it'll never change. That's why it's kill or be killed in this world. Akuma just wished that rule wasn't so hard to understand and follow. There were so many hidden definitions behind that one simple phrase that she could hardly keep them all straight in her mind.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she averted her gaze away from her splinted hand and glanced down at her stomach that was also wrapped in more bandages. Even after several reassurances from Mira that it should in no way affect her or her body, she still couldn't help but feel nervous. What if she got an infection from the blade? There were so many ways that the simple slice of her skin could kill her or hurt her even more. It hurt to imagine.

The rest of her body also ached from that morning's events. Her arms and legs were sore, her chest was sore, her neck was stiff, and she was mentally and emotionally exhausted. She had been put through so much and it felt like years had passed, but in reality, it must have only been a couple of hours. There was still more to be done as well. This war wasn't over and the 10 minute siren from before had proved it even if no one was actually sure what it was about. It was nothing good, which was for sure.

The Guild was very quiet, even just the infirmary. She was shocked to find that Ethan had been in and out of sleep smoothly and had started to talk again, but she was more shocked about the new injured bodies in the infirmary. Fate was resting there with an unconscious Destiny who had been shot twice, once in the side and once in the leg. Even though Fate herself was injured, she kept saying that Destiny had fixed her up good enough and even snapped at Mira accidentally before deciding to fall asleep beside her boyfriend.

Akuma had tried to go to sleep as well, but she could only lie in her bed for so long before her thoughts got the better of her. She could still see Annie's face in her mind, her orange fur filling her vision as she suffocated in the secondhand smoke. She could hear Julia's taunting laugh and hear Alyssa words clearly. All of those things were haunting her just like Kyler had, determined to keep her awake even long after they were gone.

Both Krystal and Ruri suffered the same trauma and Akuma knew it was affecting them deeply. Ruri refused to speak to anyone but Cathy and Rory, and she clung to Rory tightly and wouldn't let go no matter how many seconds ticked on. Krystal, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking to whoever she could talk to, which finally came down to her younger brother and for some reason, Janiyah. It was as if she needed to hear the voices of others to reassure her that everything was okay. That she wasn't going to be hurt. Akuma was a mixture of the two. She was desperate to be alone yet was fearful of what the loneliness could cost her.

Yet, there she was, sitting alone in an infirmary bed, partially clouded in the darkness of the room. Yes, Ethan, Fate and Destiny were there, but they were all in deep slumbers at that point. She curled deeper into the couch, resting her wounded hand on her abdomen as her head sunk further into the pillow beneath her. Her hand felt like a practical ball of fire at that point, determined to burn away to nothing. Stinging sensations shot up and down her arm and she continued to hiss in pain every few minutes or so when they became too severe.

"What're you doin' up?"

Akuma didn't turn at the sound of Tenshi's voice and instead continued to stare at the wall in front of her. She could hear footsteps from somewhere behind the bed and when his figure finally appeared in front of her, she had no choice but to look up.

"I just can't sleep right now… Even though everyone is resting, even if they're on guard…" Akuma answered simply.

Tenshi's eyes were groggy with sleep and his fur was tousled. Slowly, he dropped down to one knee beside the bed and laid his had atop her head. His thumb ran soothingly across her forehead and Akuma leaned into his touch, turning slightly so that she could press a kiss to his palm. He smiled at that, but the moment she winced in pain, he frowned as his eyes drifted towards her hand.

"Does it hurt?" He guessed. Akuma nodded feebly.

"Yah… Like a bitch…" She replied.

Tenshi nodded softly in understanding, grabbing onto her wrist so that he could examine her battered hand better. Softly, he turned it back and forth, noticing how the knuckles were discoloured and deformed before returning her hand back to its original place. Then, with his free hand, he reached down and rested a hand on her stomach, gripping the fabric of her shirt between his fingers as he let out a sigh.

"What happened in there?" He asked softly.

Destiny had been holding off on that question all the way back and had been waiting until they were alone to ask. He knew what had gone down in the warehouse, but she had refused to speak of what had happened to her—what could have happened to her. Somewhere, deep in Tenshi's eyes, she knew that asking the question made him sick, but he deserved an answer and wouldn't be able to function without it. Akuma swallowed softly, aware of how scratchy her throat was becoming.

"Um…" She murmured weakly. "I was held in this room… Krystal had been taken away and Ruri had been knocked out. It was me against two of them and this woman… the leader… I refused to answer her questions and she forced me to breathe in cigarette smoke; held the goddamn thing right up to my nose so that I couldn't do anything." Tears were forming in her eyes at that point. "I know that our kids are counting on me to survive so I can be there for them and I can't even keep myself safe. What kind of mother am I?"

"Stop." Tenshi interrupted sternly. "Don't say anything about yourself. You're still here and those women are not—that's all the answer you need."

Akuma blinked her tears away before they could fall.

"I was stupid…" She muttered. "I tried to convince myself that we could survive without killing any of them, but I was wrong. Everyone had to die. Anyone that tries to hurt us, anyone that is a threat—they have to die. We can't afford to give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. Not with our families one the line."

Tenshi nodded in agreement.

"It's the only way to insure safety." He explained. "It's not easy, but we're strong enough to make the tough decisions that decide who lives and who dies. You proved that today. It doesn't make you a bad person when you kill; it only shows you how capable you are of surviving."

"I can't go out there anymore." Akuma told him. "Not while this war is going on… I don't think I can go out there even after it's over. There's too much at risk. We can't leave our kids and _**our grandchildren**_ alone. God forbid our kids become orphans because we're too concerned with ourselves."

"Well, hopefully we don't have to worry about anymore threats." Tenshi said. "The Seekers will be wiped out and we won't have to worry about a lack of safety even again. We'll be safe after this."

Akuma pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I don't think so…" She murmured. Tenshi frowned.

"What…?" He questioned.

"I don't think we're safe…" Akuma repeated. "I think that there will be more wars…"

"Why would you think that?" Tenshi asked.

"Have you heard about this Guild, Tenshi? Have you seen it? They've gone through so many wars with other Guilds and like Hell that this is going to be the last one they have to go through. This is just our first and it is _**not**_ going to be our last." Akuma swallowed stiffly, opening her mouth to say more, but then closing it again.

"It's nothing we can't handle."

"I just… For once in my life, I wish I could go to bed with worry." Akuma confessed. "I don't want to feel like I have to sleep with one eye open all of the time. First, it was that stupid Stepfather of mine, and then it was Kyler, but now it's my own head that's become my enemy and that's something that I can't escape."

Tenshi combed her fingers softly through her fur.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore…" He whispered. "We still have lives here. We can still be happy."

"But for how long?" She questioned. "How long until something else goes wrong because it always happens and you know it that it does. We let our guards' down and someone gets killed. I don't want that someone to be you, or our kids, or anyone else." Akuma gritted her teeth together irritably. "God, I just want to be promised something with certainty for once in my life."

Tenshi was silent for the long time, the only sound coming from the ruffling of Akuma's fur as his hand moved through it. He was still perched on the side of the bed, staring down at his wife as he contemplated on what to say next. Finally, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I'm certain that I love you." He told her, his breath tickling her ear.

Akuma turned her body towards Tenshi's and lifted her good hand up so that it rested at his cheek. She stared at his face and couldn't help but allow her lips to turn upwards into a grin.

"I love you, too…" She whispered back.

Before she could comprehend it, Tenshi grabbed her chin and a moment later, his lips were on hers. They were rough against her own, chapped and cracked from biting nervously on his lips, but she was sure that hers were the same. Akuma could smell the scent of soap and grass on his fur and it made her sigh it content. When she could no longer hold her breath, she fell back into the bed and let out a soft sigh.

"We should take over on watch instead of letting our grandchildren do it. They're starting way too early." Tenshi suggested, rising back to his feet. He held a hand out to her. "Come on.

Akuma grabbed his hand, but instead of allowing him to pull her up, she forcefully pulled him down on top of her, chuckling softly as he listened to him groan in surprise. He quickly adjusted his position, his body curving around hers and she buried her face in his shoulder as he placed his own in the crook of her neck. Tenshi's arms wrapped around her waist and Akuma's own arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close to her. Automatically, she began running her fingers through his soft fur as his own fingers trailed soothingly along her back. She could feel his warm breath on her fur and she closed her eyes as she sunk further into the embrace. After a moment, Akuma decided to speak.

"Let's stay here for a bit…" She suggested innocently. Tenshi chuckled, the sound heating her cheeks.

"Don't have much of a choice now, do I?" He snickered. Akuma shook her head, grinning like a madwoman at that point.

"Nope…" She replied.

"That's okay…" Tenshi murmured. "I like it here."

Tenshi let out a low sigh before reaching down to grab the blanket at their feet and he threw it over them, but Akuma was already warm enough with Tenshi's body heat. Tenshi pressed another kiss to the side of her head and Akuma breathed in deeply as she snuggled into his chest.

"Night, Konno…"She whispered, her voice growing groggy as sleep began to take over.

It took several moments for Tenshi to reply and Akuma had figured he was already asleep. Then, ever so softly, he squeezed her hips tighter and replied back, just as softly as the waters of sleep began pulling her under:

"Goodnight, Konno."


	62. Her Flower

**A/N: Back to hours ahead**

* * *

Fate saw him. He didn't see her.

It was early in the morning, the sun would've just started beginning to rise and it was officially one full day since their war had started. Most of them had regrouped, but some of them were still out there and were still fighting. Fate wanted to go out there and help, but she would be useless if her injuries reopened yet again and she needed to save her strength for the end of it when they would take down the main force of the Seekers of Nothing. She would just have to wait.

But that morning, it was silent in the Guild since everyone was switching from sleeping and resting to being on watch, due to attacks on the Guild, and heading back out. She sat alone at a table, running her fingers along her bracelet when she heard movement of another person. She sat in the back of the room, so it was typical whoever it was wouldn't be able to see her.

Then, Nate came trotting down the stairs from the 2nd floor and walked right past everyone, without even seeing her. She watched him curiously and noticed that he was carrying something very gently in his palm, but she couldn't see it from her angle.

Without a word, he slipped through the door and outside, closing the door quietly behind him. She stared after his exit for several seconds before her curiosity got the better of her. She glanced around one last time, making sure that she wasn't about to wake anyone and then quickly followed the older boy outside.

The cold morning ait hit her face and it was relaxing after becoming so accustomed to the average heat. She even shivered as she looked around for Nate, but didn't have to pull her jacket closer to herself. It _**was**_ her jacket now…

She finally saw him turning the corner around to the back of the Guild very carefully. Fate followed quietly behind him and peered around the corner. She stared after his figure as he continued towards something in the right corner of the space behind the Guild, and that was when she noticed that he was heading towards their makeshift graveyard.

Their cemetery had officially begun yesterday after Olivia and Cass returned to the Guild alongside Nate, Jered and his little sister, who was unfortunately still asleep. They had lost 3 lives and that resulted in 3 graves. It wasn't something that should've been there. No one should have died and yet they did, and those graves were empty. What was the point of an empty grave?

Still, Nate was hurrying evermore quicker towards the graves and Fate frowned, confused as to why he would want to visit that area. She slipped around the corner, jogging through the grass, feeling the wet dewdrops from it licking at her skin.

She nearly stumbled, but caught herself and came to a halt just a few feet away from Nate, who had stopped just in front of the graves and took a deep breath.

"Fate, why are you following me?" He asked. Fate's breath hitched due to the shock and surprise of Nate knowing about her.

"How did you know that I was following you? How did you know it was me?" She asked. Nate turned towards her with a small smirk on his face.

"Because you're you and anything that strikes the tiniest bit of curiosity send you head over heels to find out what it is." Nate chuckled. "Of course, I didn't realize that you were following me until the scratchiness of the Guild doors gave you away."

"Why are you over here?" Fate asked, rolling her eyes at his little explanation and crossing over to his side.

Nate didn't answer her question that time and instead, leaned forward to place something on someone's grave. It was Tanner's grave and he had placed a rose on it: a Cherokee rose.

"I owed it to her…"He mumbled, sadness touching at his tone. "I promised myself that I'd keep her safe and I couldn't do it, and I nearly got myself killed along with her. I would've if Jered hadn't stopped me…" He paused to take a breath. "This flower is meant to symbolize everything we've been through since we met. Every hardship and every hope… We talked more than you would think. She said that she lost her parents and her little sister, and she always had this flower to look at. It was like… _**her**_ _**flower**_."

Fate remained silent long after Nate stopped talking. They just stood there, under the dim morning light, staring at the small white flower. She took a deep breath and then looked up at Nate.

"Did you love her…?" Fate whispered, making Nate stiffen a little bit beside her.

"Well… she loved all of us…" Nate replied, making Fate shake her head.

"Nate, I'm more observant than you think." She said with a bit of a teasing tone. "I saw the way you were around Tanner. She made you happy. You're also taking her death much harder than the rest of us, and don't you dare blame that fact on how she never truly got to open up to us." She paused. "So… Did you love her?"

"… Yah… Yah, I did." Nate replied, his voice breaking up. "I cared about her a lot and she never deserved to die. I'm going to miss her."

"Me, too…"

Fate wished that no one had died so that Nate and Olivia could be happy. She wanted to be happy, too, but if she could trade one life for 2… She knew that Tristan would gladly take that sacrifice. After everything the older Exceeds had been through, they should be happy. It wasn't fair for them.

Fate knew that Olivia had lost her family, Jonah, and nearly many others that she scared about. Although she didn't know Nate that well, she at least knew that this wasn't what he deserved. For once, they both should've been happy, knowing that there was someone other than the rest of them in the Guild who would be there for them, but now those people were gone

It made her feel guilty and she just wanted to show the both of them in every way that they were cared and loved for. They should be happy. Nate then squeezed her shoulder lightly and then turned around, looking back at the Guild.

"We should head back in. People will start waking up and wondering where we are. Plus, we've got work to do." Nate said.

Fate nodded slightly as Nate began leading the way back around to the front of the Guild. They crossed through the silent little courtyard and into the Guild, where Fate could already hear voices. She trudged inside to see everyone sitting at different tables, keeping their voices down as they talked, and took a seat beside Destiny.

He refused to stay sleeping in the infirmary and Fate couldn't blame him. Her Mom wouldn't either, as she was sitting across from her, despite the injury to her hand. The skin was purple even through her black fur and she didn't look like she could clench her hand into a fist; hell, she couldn't pick up anything with it. It was wrapped tightly in a brace to prevent further injury, but Fate was sure that nothing could be worse than that. What had even happened?

"How does it feel?" Fate asked, making her Mother look up before realizing that she was talking about the hand injury.

"I say I should just cut it off." Akuma replied as Fate took a sip from a water bottle that was passed to her, suddenly choking on it as Destiny chuckled at her reaction while Tenshi's lips turned upwards in a smirk. "I'd probably be of more use without it than with it at this point."

"Only _**you**_ would suggest amputating a limb to solve a minuscule problem." Tenshi stated. Akuma shrugged her shoulders.

"Whatever works, right?" She asked as Cass smiled from beside her brother.

"Well, I personally don't believe that's the way to go with this." She snickered. "I say give it… 3 weeks or so, and then you can take off the brace and start doing physical therapy."

"I don't need physical therapy." Akuma retorted as she rolled her eyes.

"That's not what Tenshi says." Cass said, sending a look towards Tenshi. "He said that you couldn't even pick up a fork last night."

"She threw a huge fit about it, too, just ask Ethan about it for confirmation since he was up trying to read." Tenshi added smugly, purposely grinning as he avoided eye contact with his wife. "Anyone who tries to get in the way of her and one of Mira's casseroles is gonna lose—clearly, the fork lost."

"What do you mean?" Fate asked, knowing that she and Destiny were most likely sleeping when whatever went on happened.

"It's currently sticking out of the wall on Ethan's side of the infirmary. His book is still on the ground where the plate of casserole was, which followed quickly afterwards." He informed with a chuckle before leaning towards the 3 teens. "Between you and me, she blames it on mood swings, but I think it's just her excuse to make a mess and complain."

Akuma took a water bottle from behind her and threw it at Tenshi, which he easily caught and simply put down on the other side of him, away from her. Crossing her arms tightly over her chest, she glared at the 4 of them in front of her, laughing pretty wildly.

"I'm right here!" She snapped bitterly.

But they all completely ignored her and it wasn't until the laughter died down that they actually managed to look at her with a straight face. Tenshi tried to reach for her, but she batted his hand away and snapped at him to find some comfort in that damn water bottle instead. Meanwhile, trying to smother inner giggles, Cass pursed her lips.

"How about your stomach, does it hurt?" She asked, making Akuma rest a hand absentmindedly over her abdomen as she nodded a little bit.

"Not as much as my hand. I'm sure it'll subside soon… Plus, I can't worry about my pain when others might just lose their heads out there: Literally."

They all went silent, knowing that she was right about that. Perhaps _**too**_ right…


	63. Father's Daughter

Fate glanced behind her at the Guild once more and then turned her attention back to the open road ahead of her. A group had been put together to start heading to the other side of town by staying along the sides. Naturally, it was her, Destiny, Rory, Ruri, Abygale, and Nate.

She let the breeze fly through her fur as she took a deep breath.

"Man, it feels good to be out here." She said with a small laugh because she probably shouldn't have felt that way.

"I know right!" Abygale agreed, shivering a little bit from the cold weather due to the sun disappearing somehow. Fate still didn't understand how that happened.

"We all just need a little break from the Guild every once in a while." Rory sighed.

The group fell into a comfortable silence after that. It was barely another half hour when they pulled over to rest from walking in a deserted parking lot. There were several cars lettering it, but they were all empty, so there was no reason to worry. Fate hated how dead Magnolia seemed, but as long as they were alone as a group during this whole thing, she felt blessed… but only for a moment.

"Holy Hell, no way!" A voice yelled from behind them.

Fate didn't know that voice, no one did. No one except Ruri, who never thought she would hear that voice again. Maybe she was hallucinating, but by the worried expressions from everyone else, she could tell that this was real. He was here. She turned around slowly with a gun raised and gasped in shock. Hearing his voice was something, but seeing him in person was enough to send her over the edge. Someone she thought had been dead was alive.

It was her older brother, Caleb.

Her heart stopped. He was there in the flesh and blood: Alive.

Rory was halfway in front of her while Nate was the other half, accidentally hiding her from view. Caleb knew, though.

"Who's that behind you, Ruby, Skyward?" He asked.

Nate and Rory noticed that they were covering her and Nate moved, but Rory didn't because Ruri was holding him in place with one of her hands, the other one holding up her gun. Caleb's jaw dropped in shock.

"Jesus…" He muttered. Ruri didn't put her gun down because even though he was alive and had been important to her, it was obvious that they were on different sides. "Well, isn't it my darling little sister. Man, I thought you were dead like the others."

"You're already supposed to be dead." Ruri snapped before anyone could ask what he meant by little sister. That wasn't what she was anymore. She was just Ruri.

"Ouch." He mocked. "I'd thought you'd be happy to see your older brother Caleb… Unless you'd rather see our dead relatives instead, Zeke or Dakota or those excuses for parents…"

Caleb looked like Hell and his words matched how he always had been. He hated their family, always had and always would. His entire face was covered in blood and Ruri stiffened slightly as her finger curled around the trigger, but something kept holding her back. Would she be able to pull the trigger and kill her brother for good if she needed to?

"Tell me, little sis… Is it just you?" He asked. Ruri held her breath for a moment before nodding.

"Just me… It's just me…" She replied softly, but loud enough for him to hear.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and then suddenly leapt forward with a hidden gun, pulling the trigger. Ruri dropped to the ground as glass rained down on her head from a shattered window. The others disappeared from view when suddenly; she was ripped up from the ground and pulled by her head, her fur held tightly in Caleb's fingers.

He wrapped her in a choke hold with his gun pressed to her temple. She reached for hers, but he had swiftly kicked it out of her grasp. She continued to struggle as he teased her, asking where all of her skills had gone and telling her that she had gone soft.

Suddenly, multiple figures came into view and stared at them in fear, and then Caleb tightened his grip on her.

"Lower your guns!" He screamed. "Drop all of your weapons onto the ground or she gets a bullet in the brain!"

Ruri watched as everyone removed all of their weapons, except for Fate, who continued to stare. Ruri nodded to her and Fate seemed to swallow uncomfortably before she dropped her weapons, seeming very reluctant to leave them. Caleb, however, looked her up and down.

" _ **All of them**_ …" He hissed.

Fate rolled her eyes as she reached into her flannel shirt, pulling another knife out of a hidden pocket. Then, she reached to the waistband of her leggings that was hidden by the waistband of her skirt and pulled out another knife, dropping it rather harshly before reaching into her jacket pockets, throwing down 2 more.

Everyone stared at her in shock because if she was wearing shoes, she would probably have more than just those ones. Caleb seemed to smirk as he nodded.

"Good… Now, we're gonna go for a little walk." Caleb said.

"We're not going back to our Guild with you." Nate stated angrily.

"Oh no…" Caleb chuckled. "We're going someone else."

* * *

They were trapped. Caleb was alive. So many things were spiraling out of control.

Ruri paced back and forth in the room Caleb had thrown her and the others in because she couldn't pound her fists on the door any longer. She took a deep breath as she finally turned her attention away from the door and towards her surroundings. The first way to getting out was to use her surroundings to her advantage.

"Fate, did you leave all your knives behind?" Ruri asked, trying to sound curious instead of desperate. Fate let out a small sigh.

"Yah, all of them… The stupid ones and the one I got from my Mom. I even left Tristan's gun behind… I have to go back for it afterwards, I can't leave them there." Fate replied. The fact that she said afterwards meant that she was desperate to get out as well.

All around them for some reason, there was a bed, a small dresser, a table, and a fireplace. There wasn't much to make a weapon out of unless she planned to suffocate someone with a pillow. She didn't want to kill, but being in that situation from before with Krystal and Akuma made her think about it and she realized that she would have to if she wanted to survive. She could cry about it later.

Ruri didn't understand what was going on in her mind, but things clashed together and she kicked the wall angrily. She really needed to get out of there, but what could she do? She stormed back over to the door.

"Caleb!" She called through the wood.

"Caleb's not here." A voice replied, making Ruri angrier.

"Well then, who _**is**_ here?" She asked.

"John Garcia. What about you?" He asked.

"Which one of us?" Ruri asked bitterly and when she didn't get a reply, she sighed. "I'm Ruri…" She paused. "Ruri… Shiro."

"Shiro? Are you Caleb's kid or something?" John asked.

"No, I am _**so**_ not. He's my brother." Ruri replied.

"Well, damn. Either way, I'm under orders. You need to shut up and just wait for Caleb to get back." John said back to her.

Ruri sighed and backed away from the door. No one was going to help her group get out of there besides the group itself. She glanced behind her at the window and knew that she wouldn't be able to get out of there without breaking a leg from the fall at least. It was probably locked anyways.

Things were just getting worse and worse as she continued to explore the room. All that was left was the fireplace and was she honestly just expecting to throw a log at someone and hope it knocked them out? Then, she noticed something behind the fireplace and small grin grew on her face.

It was a fireplace poker.

She grabbed the long pole from behind the fireplace and felt the poker, which was sharp. It wasn't the best weapon in the world, but it was a lot better than a pillow a log. Now, the next question was when she would be able to use it. John was her only target, but she didn't know what he looked like. He could be easy to kill or nearly impossible. Was he Human or Exceed? She'd never know if she didn't try.

She took a deep breath and looked down at the poker. Did she want to do this? Kill someone so she could escape with the others? She hadn't killed someone in a long time. Annie was killed by mistake, so this would be her first kill since she was young and did it nearly for a living. A 14 year old Exceed to kill an unknown person. She could do it. She was protecting her own and to do that, she needed to make sacrifices. You couldn't survive war without killing and that was what she was going to do.

Everyone raised to their feet as she crossed over to the door once again, her hand hesitating before knocking. Her hand was wrapped so tightly around the poker that he knuckles were pale white. Her hands were shaking as well, but she couldn't be scared anymore. That wasn't an option.

She knocked more firmly a 2nd time.

"John, I need some help." Ruri said, coming up with a lie as she went.

"I don't care. That's your problem, not mine." John snapped.

"Please?" Ruri asked. "All of us are 13-15 besides Abygale, who's really young, and I'm bleeding. It really hurts. Please just check on it and I promise I won't bother you again. I just want someone to make sure this isn't worse than it already looks like."

"Where are you bleeding?" He called through the door with a sigh.

"It's my arm. Please, just check it out. I'm begging you." Ruri replied, adding a little whining into her tone to sound nearly hopeless about the situation.

"Fine, but I better not hear another word from any of you." John muttered with another sigh.

Ruri nodded and then backed up, allowing him to open the door. He was just a tall Exceed and she nearly sighed out of relief that she had a good chance at actually killing him. She hid the poker behind her back as he slowly opened the door and when he was slipping his gun into his holster, that's when she attacked.

She kicked his kneecap harshly, sending him off balance and out into the hallway against the door. Luckily, she had grown a little taller over the past couple of months, so that made her next task less difficult. She shoved him through the door, into the lit-up hallway, and when John was gasping for air, his head tilted back, Ruri shoved the poker through his throat.

Blood spurted out, drenching her arms and splattering onto her face. She used all the strength within her to shove the poker further into his throat as John began to choke on his own blood. He slowly dropped to the floor as he gurgled and then slumped against the wall. She pulled the poker from his throat and tossed it aside, staring down at John's corpse as the others piled out of the room behind her. He was dead.

Ruri looked down at her blood caked hands and then wiped the blood off of her face. She bent down, examining his corpse for weapons and then pulled out his pistol. She checked the ammo and it was fully loaded. She gave one last look at John's dead body before continuing down the now empty hall. She felt no remorse for what she did.

She rounded the corner with her gun held high and continued silently down the hall, looking for any enemies as the others followed her ever so slowly. Suddenly, she was jerked to the right with a hand clamped over her mouth and heard a familiar chuckle, looking up to the eyes of her older brother Caleb. She glared at him as the gun was forced from her hands, noticing that some other Exceeds were holding onto the others so they didn't run.

"Damn… Can nothing stop you?" Caleb asked. She remained silent as Caleb examined the gun she had taken. "This is Garcia's gun… How the Hell did you get this?"

"I killed him." Ruri spat. For once, Caleb had a look of shock on his face.

"Did you now? How exactly did you _**kill**_ Garcia?" Caleb asked.

"I stabbed him right through the throat with a fireplace poker." Ruri snapped. Caleb grinned.

"You certainly are our father's daughter… the Daughter of Thieves." Caleb said, still grinning.

Then, he was jerking me forward down the hallway with the others behind them. It wasn't long until she was shoved downwards and she rolled several times before Fate accidentally rolled into her and she groaned in pain, coughing up dust.

"Why are you doing this?" Ruri asked, rolling onto her back and looking over at Caleb, who stood in the doorway of the cell he had thrown them all in, his men behind him.

"You killed my men. You're a killer, Ruri, whether you want to admit that or not." Caleb replied. "You really are my little sister… I'm proud of you, you know that? But would Dad be proud of your behavior?"

"He would want me to do whatever it took to survive and you know that. If it meant killing, he would let me do it." Ruri snapped with tears filling her eyes as she sat up, helping Fate because the younger girl was having trouble with just breathing at that point.

Caleb shook his head.

"You're funny, little sis. You really are."

He suddenly walked forward and grabbed the closest person, which happened to be Rory, and held him in a chokehold, pressing a gun to his temple. He laughed as he noticed how panicky she became.

"Who is this to you, Ruri? How important is he to you?" Caleb asked. Ruri didn't reply. Her throat felt like it was closing up as more tears filled her eyes. "He's important, isn't he? It would be quite a shame if someone put a bullet in his brain, wouldn't it?"

"If you hurt him, I swear to God that I will kill you." Ruri hissed, not expecting to speak. Caleb rolled his eyes.

"You'll kill me? You wouldn't kill your own brother, especially when I'm your last family member." Caleb taunted.

Abygale suddenly appeared at her side and with what her hand was guided to, her heart started beating a mile in a minute as she wrapped her finger around something certain: a trigger. No one would expect a little kid to keep an extra gun in her waistband. Then, something clicked in Ruri's head and she smiled back at her brother, whose grin slowly fell.

"Try me."

And then she pulled out the gun and pulled the trigger.


	64. The Broken Wolf

Hotaru shot up with a start, her lungs letting out a screech before she collapsed back onto her side again, feeling the warm blood stain her cheeks. She hurt like she had never hurt before. Never had she been so close to a bomb that the blast felt like her eternal organs had completely shifted inside. She heard a continuous ringing in her left ear and when she reached up to touch it; her hand came away dark red. Smoke filled her lungs and she was sure that her ribs had been broken. No, _**shattered**_.

Grenades were dangerous and so were the Seekers of Nothing. If they could attack their own teammate with the intent to kill, then they were definitely horrible people.

Hotaru clenched her teeth to hold off another scream and shook her head, trying to rid of the ringing, but it only seemed to make it worse as a stabbing pain shot through her ear. She looked around slowly, trying to process all that happened when her eyes fell on Aisley, who rested a few feet away and was lying in a pool of blood.

"Aisley!" Hotaru screamed, scrambling on her hands and knees over to the other girl.

Aisley's head whipped to the side and Hotaru sighed in relief to know that she was awake. She reached up to caress the older girl's face and one of her hands fell over hers. Aisley's eyes were clenched shut.

"Pull it out…"' She seemed to plead.

Hotaru frowned in confusion at first, but then allowed her eyes to wander to Aisley's stomach, where a small piece of jagged metal from a broken shelf had dug itself into her. Blood seeped from the wound and Hotaru knew that she had to pull it out, but she was afraid that she would only make things worse. She tried to pull it out slowly, but that only make Aisley jerk under her touch.

Hotaru took a deep breath and she felt Aisley tense underneath her again as she gripped the sharp piece of metal in her hands.

"I'm sorry…" Hotaru apologized softly, and then she ripped it from the older girl's stomach.

Before Aisley could scream, Hotaru placed her hand over the girl's mouth so her shouts were muffled. She then tried to pull Aisley into a sitting position, but she wouldn't be able to handle the pain. She spared a glance upwards before looking back down at Aisley, who was now unconscious. It no longer mattered what it took to get her up because she wouldn't be able to feel it.

Hotaru slipped one of the older girls' arms over her shoulders and hauled her to her feet. Her ribs burned and the ringing was still faint in her left ear as she continued to drag Aisley to any place that could be considered safe, which ended up being a simple, unlocked house. The only thing she could do was lay Aisley down onto the closest elevated surface, which was the kitchen table.

Suddenly, she heard a gasp and she looked down to see Aisley's eyes opening and her lips were parted like she was trying to speak. Hotaru reached down to grip her hand tightly.

"Shh…" She shushed the older girl. "Don't talk."

"What happened?" Aisley still asked, not listening to Hotaru's order.

"You were in an accident." Hotaru replied softly.

After a moment of silence, Hotaru could tell that Aisley had gone back under due to the exhaustion and blood loss, but she couldn't blame her. Why was she helping her enemy anyways? It most certainly wasn't out of the good in her heart or the fact that she reminded her of someone she used to know… but perhaps that they were alike in so many ways.

She just needed a break from reality.

She looked around and her eyes fell on a small black journal at her feet. Her curiosity got the better of her as she picked it up and flipped it open to the first page, tears welling in her eyes at the neat handwriting that had been smudged with blood:

 **This is the beginning.**

A single teardrop fell onto the white paper and she frowned at the sentence. She then picked up a stray pen that had been tossed aside and put it to the paper, that journal now becoming hers. Perhaps the owner from before wouldn't like what she had to say, but it didn't matter anymore. After a moment of writing, Hotaru put the pen down and glanced at her work:

 **This is the beginning.** had been crossed out and replaced with **This is the end.**

* * *

Ethan opened his one eye slowly, but quickly closed it again due to the brightness shining in from an open window. After Akuma's freak-out from the night before, he gave up on his book and ended up passing out from his boredom. He adjusted his eye to the light as he sat up, letting out a deep sigh as he looked around, realizing that he was alone in the infirmary. That was how he started out, too.

He let out another sigh before pulling off the blankets, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed as he paused, feeling the way his feet flattened against the ground before putting pressure on them, standing up as if he had never stopped walking.

He walked over to the dresser in the infirmary, where Mira had placed a new pair of clothes on top of it for him. That was for when she allowed him to get out of bed… but who said he was going to listen to her? He grabbed the pair of clothes, quickly slipping them on piece by piece, keeping his balance even though he couldn't see the right side of his life anymore.

It started with the white, black-rimmed t-shirt that had a black bear paw print on it, surrounded by red lines. Then came the dark blue cropped jeans, followed by a blue, long-sleeved button-up shirt, but he left it unbuttoned. Overtop of it was a dark green, sleeveless jean vest and he slipped a black pair of hightops over a pair of simple white ankle socks.

He couldn't just lie around and rest anymore, especially not alone. He didn't care about his eye; he just needed some social interaction. He needed to lead up to feeling better enough to fight. He needed to fight like everyone else.

His partner was out there, fighting for her life and everyone else's, and he was lying in this room feeling sorry for himself because he lost an eye. He got an eye shot out and he was alive. That was a miracle in itself for fuck's sake. He needed to get over himself and this was how it was going to be done.

Who the Hell did the Seekers of Nothing think they were? Just because they couldn't find the courage to have a life for themselves didn't mean they had to take it from others. Sure, some people deserved to die because they weren't well defended, but in another sense, they didn't. They were trying to preserve their light and faith of humanity in the best way possible whilst everything around them turned to darkness: whilst the rest of them turned to animals.

While the rest of them turned into / _ **Wolves**_ /.

Then he turned, walking straight out of the infirmary as he heard the struggle of fighting in the main part of the Guild, ignoring everything around him. As he closed the infirmary door behind him, his one eye landed on Namine, who was struggling to keep a woman off of her while Akina was on the ground, clutching at her bruising ankle.

"Hey!" He screamed, saying the first thing since he had awoken. Nearly everybody froze and stared, some in disbelief and some in pure humor. "Get the Hell off of them!"

The woman stood up bravely and smiled. Her hair was long, curly and black and it went way below her shoulders. Her clothes were in tatters and covered in dirt and blood. Watching as the woman rose to her feet, a butcher's knife dangling in her right hand, Ethan leaned down and picked up a knife that was lying on the ground. It had probably been Akina's, but that didn't matter much.

Her smile turned into a laugh and from that laugh, it turned into a high-pitched cackle. Ethan got into a fighting stance, knowing that he couldn't run and had to fight that woman right there. He didn't want to run.

"I'm going to slit your little throat." The woman hissed. "But before that, I'm going to take your other eye."

"The only throat going to be slit today is yours." Ethan replied with a glare, although he knew that many people were probably losing their throats right then and there. Whether it was in the Guild or not, this war would haunt them. "And it'll be quick." He added.

"I'd like to see you try." She murmured, taking a small sidestep forward as if beginning a slow and deadly dance.

They both stood in silence for a moment, sizing each other up, but then the woman sprung, leaping right at him. Ethan met her in the middle as he ducked the swing of her blade and dove at her stomach, knocking her to the ground. She let out a cry of pain, her fist going upwards to hit Ethan square in the jaw. Ethan rose his blade up and began stabbing blindly, praying that he would make any sort of contact, but nothing ever hit solidly.

He was then shoved backwards, flying several feet as he landed on top of a fallen chair. The woman rose to her feet and tried to kick him, but he rolled to the side, stabbing her deep in the leg as she took another step closer.

The woman cried as she fell to her knees again, the butcher's knife flying from her hands. Both of their eyes landed on the blade that shone under the dim light of the Guild hall, each of them having the same thought as they sprung forward. An elbow dug deep into Ethan's ribs as he crawled across the wooden floor, fighting to get a hold of the blade. His fingers stung as something bit at them, but that was the least of his concerns as he realized that he had the knife in his possession and the woman didn't.

Rolling onto his back, Ethan shoved the woman away, but she was quick and already on top of him before he could even raise his elbows. His head smacked against the ground below and his ears were ringing, but he couldn't give up. Her long, bony fingers wrapped around his throat as she shook him frantically.

"You asshole!" She shrieked. "I'm going to ki—"

Ethan cut her off as he brought the knife upwards and into the center of her chest. She gasped in pain as her blood gushed forward, hitting him square in the face and he winced. The unknown woman grabbed at her chest, letting out sobs of pain as she fell backwards and ultimately fell silent, her eyes falling to a close.

Ethan took a small breath, his body trembling from adrenaline as he hadn't been in that kind of situation in a long time. His hand was still wrapped around the hilt of the knife and he refused to let it go as small chuckles started to escape his lips.

"Ethan, you fucking idiot, are you hurt?!" Akina demanded, dragging herself up to his side. He shook his head as he chuckled more. "Well shit, did you hit your head too hard or something?"

"Nah, sweetheart… I'm just living the good life." He joked, sitting up slowly as Namine helped her older sister sit up. She looked at Ethan in concern before he waved her off, using a table as support as he stood, and the Blake sisters stood up behind him. "I am _**not**_ going to lie in that damn infirmary bed anymore. Fuck my eye; I'm fighting."

"That's okay."

Ethan was shocked to hear that from both Mira and Akina as the white-haired girl appeared at the younger girl's side. He understood that Akina would do anything to have someone fight in her place, but Mira…

"I can't stop you anyways, right? You'll just go out there no matter what I say, but I'm telling the truth. If you can fight like that, you can survive out there no matter your number of eyes. A lot of us have pulled back… Now, it's your turn to step up." Mira stated before smiling a bit. "Fate needs you, Ethan."

Akina, surprisingly, nodded in agreement. He stared at her for a moment, not knowing what exactly to say to the girl who was younger than him by one year. The one, who always called him an idiot, yet cared so much when he got hurt. Her voice and Fate's were the ones he heard the most.

"Go get them, Ethan."

He didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Ethan jogged down one of the streets of Magnolia, his only weapon being a single knife as he tried to dodge the numerous amounts of attackers in the area. The screams he was thinking he'd hear weren't very frequent, but the gunfire was increasing by the second and he could only hope that it was the remaining fighters of theirs who were gathering up followers to help in resistance.

He hadn't run into any attackers in a while, but he wasn't letting his guard down until it was absolutely clear. He suddenly turned, noticing that one of the houses had the door kicked open and from the shattering of glass he could hear inside, he knew that whoever was inside was not friendly.

He pulled out his pistol that Mira had handed to him earlier before he left the Guild and crept towards the front porch, climbing up the steps and keeping in a low crouch as he approached the front door. It was wide open with glass evident in the hallway as he stepped inside, his pistol up with his finger around the trigger.

He looked around slowly making his footsteps light as he moved through the living room where the glass coffee table had been shattered. He could hear footsteps in the kitchen and cocked his gun.

"Get the hell out of here!" He screamed. "I have a gun and I will shoot!"

Instantly, Ethan could hear the sound of charging feet and he braced himself for the attack that was sure to follow. Suddenly, he could see the intruder in the doorway and his appearance took Ethan by surprise. He wore all black from head to toe and his pale skin was dripped with blood a sweat. His hair, if he had any, was concealed underneath a black cap. His nose was concealed with a bandanna and all Ethan could see were his eyes. One pair of green eyes were staring right at him, glancing into his one hazel eye. They seemed all so familiar; so familiar that he couldn't make out why.

They stood in silence, examining each other for maybe a full minute, before the man suddenly sprung forward and tackled Ethan to the ground before he could even pull the trigger. They flipped over the couch, each of them crashing onto the hardwood floor where the pile of glass from the broken table lay. Feeling the stinging sensation of blood dripping down his back from several tiny cuts, Ethan let out a cry of pain.

Kicking and hitting, Ethan attempting at striking the attacker as best as he could, but the man was quicker. Suddenly, he was crying out in pain as his right eye and jaw were stinging from sharp blows to the face that hurt so bad that his left eye had tears forming in pools.

Bringing his knee up, Ethan heard the man above him grunt in pain and flip over top of him, landing several feet away. He clutched at his side, his bandanna coming down slightly, but I wasn't enough to reveal his full face.

Ethan's vision hadn't been affected by the swift blows due to his eye already being gone, but it was hurting worse than anything he had ever felt before. The right side of his face was definitely going to be swollen after that. Pulling his knife from his pocket, Ethan twirled it in his fingers before throwing it as the man, who narrowly dodged what _**would've**_ been a knife straight through the eye.

The man then rose to his feet and as Ethan scrambled to get his gun, the man stomped down on his left wrist and Ethan screamed out in pain at the sudden pressure. There might have been the sickening sound of a crack, but he couldn't hear anything over his own screaming. The boot left imprints in his skin as he writhed in pain, his entire arm burning at the slightest touch. Ethan brought his arm to his chest, screaming his lungs off as the man took off out the door, but he wasn't done.

Pushing away the pain, Ethan scooped his gun up in his right hand and struggled to his feet, doing everything in his power to keep the weight off his left arm. Then, he had taken off in a sprint. There was no way in Hell that this man was going to live after what he was doing. If he could do that to him, someone who was still considered a child in the eyes of many, Ethan could only imagine what someone like that could do to a full grown adult.

Running out onto the porch, Ethan could see the man running in a full out sprint towards the nearest wall of escape. Raising his gun, Ethan fired multiple bullets at the moving target until he finally fell to the ground where he could hear a shout and curse of pain. Ethan sighed in relief, realizing he was down, but frowned the moment he got back up and kept running forward and out of sight.

Holding his injured arm to his chest, Ethan clenched his teeth in anger at the fact that his attacker had gotten away, and also in pain at the fact that he couldn't move his wrist forward or backward. Looking to his left, there was an open field across from this house and in that field he could see none other than Kurai hiding behind a tree, breathing deeply as if he had been running.

Ethan frowned, noticing the movement of tree limbs further off behind him and that's when Ethan noticed another Seeker hiding amongst the trees with a machete tightly in his hand. Before he could stop himself, Ethan was screaming from the top of his lungs.

"Kurai, run, behind you!"

Kurai looked towards him, frowning in confusion and Ethan pointed behind the older boy, where the Seeker was getting closer. Kurai peeked around the tree, realizing what was happened, and then he was running towards the younger boy as fast as he could. The Seeker broke free of the trees and started running after Kurai, quickly gaining speed as he held the machete up, ready to strike.

Ethan jumped down the steps, raising his gun to fire, but suddenly another gunshot rang out and the Seeker went crashing to the ground, clutching his leg as he went. Kurai continued running until he was right at Ethan's side, breathing even harder than earlier.

"Are you alright?" Ethan questioned. Kurai brushed some dirt off his jean jacket and nodded.

"I'm fine." He breathed, but when he noticed the pained expression on Ethan's face and the way he gripped at his arm, he frowned. For some reason, he didn't question what the boy was doing out of the infirmary and fighting in a war, nonetheless. "What happened to your arm?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Ethan replied.

Kurai was going to say something, but was cut off by the cries of the Seeker attacker and Ethan's attention was back to the problem at hand. Looking around for the shooter, Ethan sighed in relief to see Chilled and Minx both running out the front door of another house with guns in their hands. Mix moved towards the Seeker and the other 3 followed right behind him, trying to get a closer look at him.

Ethan kicked the machete from his grasp and watched as the Seeker man clutched at his thigh where a bullet could clearly be seen in his skin. He held up a bloody hand towards Chilled, who looked ashamed for shooting.

"Please, don't kill me, man." He pleaded. "My leg, it hurts. Please, I just wanted fr—"

But whatever he was going to say was cut off before Ethan even realized what he was doing. His gun was already up, but he didn't remember raising it. The trigger had already been pulled, but he didn't remember squeezing it.

Kurai, Minx and Chilled all gasped at his actions.

"Y-You killed him!" Kurai cried whilst Minx and Chilled stared down at the dead man below.

"He tried to kill you." Ethan growled.

Kurai tried to argue, but was rendered speechless at that and they all fell silent, staring at the concrete below.

"We need to get back to the Guild and keep each other safe." Minx insisted. However, Ethan bent down to pick up the machete and started walking, only to have Chilled stop him.

"Ethan, where are you going?" He questioned. Pursing his lips, Ethan chose not to look at them. They only saw him as another dead boy, didn't they? Why bother with these feelings he had? He just needed his partner.

 _ **"Just keep each other safe."**_


	65. Playboy

The Shiro's hit the floor so fast that Rory could barely comprehend it. One moment, he was standing there with a gun to his head, and now he found himself as the only one standing. Everyone else was on the ground, sitting or whatever.

Shaking the ringing of the gunshots from his ears, he struggled to stay on his feet. Sparing a glance to his right, his eyes landed on Caleb Shiro with a bullet i his forehead. His eyes were open and looking, but he was no longer seeing.

Suddenly, he heard a loud gasp of breath from behind him and whipped around to see Ruri's palm slapping weakly against the concrete floor as her chest jumped up and down in search of air. Abygale was busy supporting Fate, who had just barely caught her breath when it was scared out of her by the gunshots, and Destiny and Nate were shocked at the scene before them. Relief filled Rory as he rushed over to Ruri's side and dropped to his knees, cupping her face in his hands.

"Ruri…" He murmured.

She continued to breathe harshly and her eyes were darting around in all directions like she couldn't seem to keep her sight on something exact. Then, she gritted her teeth together and arched her back as she let out a loud cry before gasping in pain once again.

Rory then began to feel a warm, slippery substance as he let his hands fall to Ruri's chest and his eyes widened at the sight and familiar touch of blood. Ruri's whole torso was slick with blood and Rory pulled his knife from his pocket and sliced her shirt open so he could see her chest better.

Ruri had a bullet hole is her chest and as Rory examined it closer, he couldn't tell if the bullet was still lodged in her body, but there was no way he was going to risk taking it out because Ruri might not have been able to survive the shock or blood loss. He could already see the color fading from Ruri's face and he needed to do something to stop the bleeding before he lost her.

"It hurts…!" Ruri gasped. Another wave of relief washed over Rory at the sound of her voice and he blinked away the tears that were forming in his eyes. Pursing his lips, he nodded.

"I know…" He said softly. "But I'm going to help you. You're going to be okay. We're all here."

Ruri didn't say anything else and Rory set to work immediately, finding Fate by his side not even within a minute. Pulling the shirt from Ruri's body, Rory began cutting it up into large and small bandages, half of it done by him and half o fit done by Fate, and quickly began pressing them to her wound. Racking his mind for words of advice from his older sister, he began trying to do what was right.

 _"If it's a wound to the chest…" Ava advised. "Make sure you place multiple bandages over the area and keep firm pressure on it. If the bandages become soaked in blood, don't remove them. Just add new ones to the pile."_

Rory's hands were sticky with blood and he was sure that Fate's were too as they continued placing the bandages over the wound, but the blood didn't seem to let up.

"Now what…?" Rory wondered frantically to himself.

 _"Make sure they're breathing." Ava reminded him. "Always monitor their pulse."_

Rory grabbed Ruri's wrist and pressed 2 fingers down, searching for a pulse. His heart lurched when he couldn't find one, but after convincing himself to calm down; he managed to feel the faint beat against his skin. Letting her wrist drop, Rory let his attention turn to her face and he found that her eyes were closed.

"Ruri!" Rory yelled, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up. You can't go to sleep on me."

Ruri's eyes opened slowly and it truly looked like that single action drained her of any energy she might have been saving.

"Where's…" She trailed off, her eyes closing again, but then they shot open a moment later. "Caleb?" Rory's gaze wondered towards the older brother that lay sprawled behind him and his shoulders dropped.

"He's dead." He answered.

He half expected Ruri to begin crying like she had the moment Ava had died, but instead, she merely nodded and turned her gaze back to the ceiling. He couldn't even see the glaze of tears against her eyes. Ruri truly felt nothing for her brother. She felt no remorse that she was the one that killed him. Rory wanted to say that he understood, but he honestly didn't.

Deciding to leave Ruri in her thoughts, Rory turned back to her injury and wiped his hands on his pants before returning to what was known as her chest. Thankfully it looked like the cloth was beginning to stop the blood, but he didn't even know what he was dealing with here. He didn't even know where the bullet was. What if managed to pierce a lung or even her spine?

He began tying 2 pieces of clot together when he turned his attention to Ruri again.

"I thought you said his name was Zeke." He said softly. Ruri's hand twitched on the concrete floor.

"What?" She asked, her voice so quiet that Rory didn't even hear her until she asked a second time.

"I thought your older brother's name was Zeke, not Caleb." Rory reminded her.

"I had 2 older brothers. Zeke was the oldest." Ruri reminded him. Rory felt stupid for not having made the connection earlier, but now curiosity had taken over and he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"What happened?" He asked. Ruri gritted her teeth as another shot of pain ripped through her, but the she sighed.

"He drowned in a river before everything else happened…" Ruri replied softly. Swallowing slowly, Rory instantly regretted bringing up the older boy with Ruri.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered. Ruri's jaw was clenched.

"I always wanted to be the oldest…" She murmured, her voice so incredibly soft. "I should have been the older sister. I wanted to protect them—I wanted to protect the people I loved."

"You did." Rory reassured. Ruri rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah…?" She muttered, her gaze never leaving the ceiling. "Who…?"

" _ **Me**_." Rory replied, reaching forward and brushing his fingers through her fur. "You saved my life." He continued. "Now it's my job to save yours."

Suddenly, there were footsteps coming from the open door and they all whipped their heads upwards towards it, remembering that they were technically surrounded by the enemy at that point. Rory clambered to his feet, slipping an arm under Ruri's knees and slipping the other under her shoulders.

"Leave me." Ruri ordered.

Rory didn't say anything, he just shook his head as Fate grabbed the gun Ruri had shot Caleb with and Nate grabbed the gun Caleb had shot his little sister with. Fate took the lead and Nate took the rear as they all began to walk. They made their way into another room that was much safer and had a bed for Rory to put Ruri down while the others grabbed everything they could, barricading it.

Abygale helped Rory by pulling the sheets from the bed and starting to rip them apart, handing the pieces to Rory so he could add them to the older girl's wound. Destiny's attention fell on a window he crossed over to it before realizing that he wasn't tall enough to reach it… On his own.

"Abygale, get someone to take over for you and come here please." Destiny ordered. Fate instantly took over for the little girl, who rushed to Destiny's side and he kneeled down, using the wall as support. "Get on my shoulders. You're taking a look out that window, alright?"

Abygale nodded and stood on Destiny's shoulders with help from the wall, nearly falling when he stood up even though he was slow. She got onto the window sill, still keeping a foot on one of Destiny's shoulders, and slid open the window with little difficulty. She let out a sigh of relief when it wasn't a straight down plummet. There was actually a roof she could stand on. How high up were they? _**Where**_ were they?

"I'll be back." She called to them, gaining a nod from Destiny before Rory crossed over quickly.

"Abygale, focus on medical supplies. Sheets, clothes, bandages themselves, painkillers, anything, okay?" He asked.

Abygale nodded quickly before swinging a leg over the sill, slowly stepping onto the roof and made sure to stay in a crouch so that she could keep her balance. Her eyes widened at the sight of Magnolia and immediately knew that this war needed to end or a lot of people would lose their homes. Shimmying her way across the roof, she disappeared from Destiny's sight and went on her very little search for medical supplies.

Rory froze when he heard a cry of pain, followed by the sound of chattering teeth and his eyes fell on Ruri, who was shaking in the bed. He immediately ran over to her, noticing that Fate was terrified of the situation and didn't know what to do.

Ruri's eyes were closed, her jaw clenched, and she was trembling. Her chest was rising and falling much too quickly to be safe and Rory could see the faint spot of sweating on her forehead. Placing his hand on her forehead, her face even paler than before he was taken aback by how hot she felt. She was burning up.

 _"Shock…" Ava started. "That'll kill as quickly as a bullet. Keep the person warm."_

Rory grabbed the full comforter from the ground; he pulled Ruri into his arms and wrapped the comforter around them. Her back rested firmly against his chest and her head lay on his shoulder, but she was shaking profoundly that he doubted she could even feel his touch.

"You're okay…" Rory whispered, fighting the tears in his eyes. "You're okay."

Rory began trembling himself; unsure of what he was going to do. Ruri was dying in his arms and there was nothing he could do to save her. He had already tried everything. It was hopeless. Ruri was going to die and that scared him.

"Please don't die…"' Rory begged, biting back a sob.

He didn't know how long he sat there, surrounded by the others and fighting the tremors that shook Ruri's body, but he finally seemed to calm down, his breathing becoming even once again. However, Rory only tightened the comforter around them. Brushing his fingers through Ruri's fur, he swallowed.

"Can you hear me?" He questioned softly. There was a low groan and he sighed in relief, burying his face in Ruri's warm neck. Her hands tightened on the blanket as she let out a small sigh. Rory then pursed his lips. "Ruri…" He whispered. "What's my name?"

Rory needed to keep this girl talking, it was the only way he could be sure that she was alive. Ruri's body convulsed fiercely and she swallowed before talking.

"Rory Evitt."

Rory closed his eyes and winced. That wasn't the answer he wanted or expected. He needed an answer that showed some hope in survival. He needed the answer that only Ruri would know to give him. Trying to ignore his bloody, sticky hands, Rory began to comb Ruri's fur soothingly and in a soft voice, he lowered his lips down to her ear.

"What's my other name?" He wondered.

Ruri was silent for a moment in his arms and tears filled Rory's eyes, expecting the remaining Shiro to have already passed on and left him alone in his struggle, but then after a moment, there was a whisper. It was barely audible, but it was still there.

" _ **Playboy**_."

A small smile crept onto his lips and Rory let out a sigh of relief as he tightened his arms around Ruri. She was still there. She was still alive. That's how it needed to stay. Pursing his lips, Rory looked towards the sky and sent a silent prayer that Ruri would pull through. They never believed in a God, but why not pray to whoever might be listening?

But little did Rory know that more than one life hung in the balance.


	66. This is a Story People are going to Tell

"Rory, don't do this, please…"

Ruri's voice echoed in Rory's ear as him and Nate dragged a dead Hebi's body down the walkway towards the room at the end of the hall. The weight burned his shoulders and he gritted his teeth together as he used the last of his strength to pull the large body in the back room, where he finally shut the door behind him and the older boy. At least they had learned that dead Hebi's couldn't hurt them.

"I have to, Ruri." Rory insisted. "We can't just sit here."

"I can't go with you."

"Abygale is going to stay here with you and the rest of us will come back for the both of you. I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Playboy."

Rory dropped down to his knees with his flimsy knife held high and then drove it into where the Hebi's chest would've been, cringing at the squishy sound it made. He brought the blade down its entire chest, opening the whole torso so that he could see all of its rotten organs that rested just below the pitch black skin. The smell was overwhelming and he had to gag into his shoulder to keep from losing his stomach.

Abygale had returned moments ago with the bad news of not having found anything and Nate had made this plan for them. Rory could tell that the oldest Exceed was regretting it now, but there was no going back. Abygale was going to stay with Ruri and shoot anything or anyone that came through the door without her permission.

If the others didn't come back or they were in a dire situation, there were 2 bullets left in one of the guns while the other had nearly full ammo. They could take the easy way out, but only if needed.

And with that, Rory dove his hands into the mush and cringed at how cold it felt. Usually, blood was warm and sticky, but this was cold and chunky. He turned to Fate first.

"You ready?" He asked, standing up slowly.

With no other answer to give, Fate merely nodded and held her arms up so that Rory could cover every last bit of her with blood. Wanting to close his eyes, he brought his hand to her stomach first and spent the next 10 minutes slathering every piece of her fabric and fur with blood until he was sure she had gained another 5 pounds in just that stuff alone.

Then, they switched and she did him. He knew she just barely missed out on losing her stomach and he couldn't blame her. Luckily, Destiny and Nate were slathering each other, so Rory wouldn't have to touch the insides again. Ruri's breath was laboured, but she still found the courage to talk.

"You're one of them…"

"That's kinda the point."

Once Fate was done, Rory crossed over to the bed and handed the gun with full ammunition to Abygale, who was shaking a little bit, but nodded with a determined look in her eyes. Rory nodded back before stuffing the other gun with 2 bullets under the pillow Ruri was using just enough.

The Emerald-eyed Exceed was wrapped tightly in a number of blankets and thankfully, the bleeding had stopped, but Rory was afraid to move her in case he tore an artery. Her face was still discoloured, but she hadn't suffered another setback since she went into shock only an hour before. He was thankful for it.

Rory had also begun to believe that Ruri hadn't pierced her lung or spin and was praying that the bullet had just gone right through her chest. It would be a miracle, but it wasn't impossible. The girl in front of him then took a small breath.

"Be careful out there, Rory…" She whispered.

Rory leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, wincing when he felt her flinch in pain. Then, he pulled back and rose to his feet, heading over to the window.

"We'll be back."

And without looking back, one by one, the 4 that weren't staying were boosted up to the window sill and climbed out, the 3rd boosted person pulling up the one who had boosted them. Rory unfortunately knew that hitting the ground below was going to hurt, but it was a risk they were all going to take.

Cringing at the feeling of the blood in his fur, Rory flattened himself onto his stomach and approached the edge. His heart fluttered in his chest when he no longer felt the singles of the roof beneath him and gasped when his weight suddenly became very reliant on his arms. He was now dangling frmo the roof, his legs swinging in the breeze and taking one last glimpse around to make sure he hadn't drawn any attention, he let go and went crashing towards the ground.

The breath slipped from his lungs at the impact and his mouth was full of dirt when he landed in the grass. Letting out a small groan, he lifted his head up and froze when a pair of black legs passed merely inches in front of his face. The Hebi didn't spare him a second glance though and once it was out of proximity, he clambered to his feet and awaited the others.

Nate fell first, letting out a very pained and broken groan as he hit the ground, luckily sparing his glasses from the pain, and then Destiny fell after him, getting caught by the 2 Exceeds due to his still healing bullet wounds. He must've known how Ruri was feeling. Fate fell last, getting caught by all 3 of them, but still let out a pained gasp due to all of her injuries. They were all just broken at that point.

Now they just had to walk… _**one step at a time.**_

* * *

Ethan's heart was thumping like steady drum and he took another breath to convince himself that he was going to be okay. Glancing around at the Hebi's, he was amazed at how none of them could tell that he wasn't one of them. None of them even gave a 2nd look because he was covered in the blood and guts of one of their buddies. His new clothes were dirty, but that was fine. He could clean them. He didn't care about any possible smudging that could've been left behind, even though his shirt was white, and he just continued walking.

He couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if he had turned into a Hebi back in Erith. Would he be here now, tearing his Guildmates apart? Also, how long until the creatures around him saw through his facade? Surely that protection couldn't last forever. He knew that nothing ever worked in his favor.

Forcing himself to move, he continued to walk slowly, making his way down the street as darkness loomed over him, the dim light fading quickly. It was becoming harder and harder to tell when a Hebi was coming towards him and at this point, he just had to trust that he would find his partner soon. His hands were numb at that point from how tightly he was holding his weapons, but he never let go of them.

As if it was possible, the growling seemed to get louder as the darkness drew on and it was like the ground below was vibrating under each step that was made. Allowing his head to sweep left to right, his eye constantly were met with those distorted ones of a Hebi, but instead of them lunging at him like he would expect, they merely continued on. Sometimes they even nearly brushed shoulders with him.

He glanced up to notice someone being taken down by some Hebi's, but he didn't know them. Thank God he didn't know them. They let out a bloodcurdling cry and reached out to him, begging for help, but he kept moving.

Hebi's couldn't actually see things. If they could, he would've been dead. They could smell and hear, and that was how he kept going. The smell was horrid, but it kept him safe. He just couldn't make noise, and he didn't. He couldn't even apologize to that person who had now fallen silent in death.

Gripping at the machete that he had switched to his right hand, his gun in his left for just-in-case situations, he looked up again and froze, noticing a Hebi straight in front of him. It wasn't moving. It was just staring at him… so Ethan moved, and then the Hebi snarled and reached its dead hands up towards him, but he was ready. Raising the blade high, he brought it harshly down and cut away its supposed face, the body dropping to the floor in a heap.

And then the facade ended.

Hebi after Hebi filled his vision and he was breathing hard, blood and sweat falling off of him in buckets. His black hair was stringy and wet, and he struggled to hold the blade tight in his sweaty palms. His arms from the shoulders down were coated in blood and with each hack and slice; he was sprayed with just a little bit more.

Suddenly, a back bumped into his and he looked back and down a bit, noticing Hotaru fighting with him. Her clothes were ripped and stained and her hair was also stringy and wet with not only sweat, but blood as well.

They pushed their way down the street with no questioning of what either of them were doing either out there or still out there, their heads constantly whipping back and forth to make sure no Hebi's were getting too close. If one did, the other was always there to rescue them. Twice, Ethan had nearly been overrun, but with one slice of Hotaru's knife, he was on his way back to fighting once again. Ethan also happened to save her when her back was turned and a Hebi was sneaking up on her.

Slowly, Ethan began to notice their little circle of defense was growing bigger, and Fairies and Seekers alike came forward to defend the city as well as their selves. Instantly, Ethan recognized Adam, Cathy, Jordan, Dan, Phil, Max and Renee. His eyes even looked over a certain man dressed in black with a bullet wound on his shoulder, whose bandanna had fallen to reveal him to be the 8th main Seeker of Nothing: Arwin.

At their feet were some of their partners, in which 4 of them were like him and were covered in Hebi blood and guts: Rory, Yuuki, Henkou, Nate, Destiny _**and Fate**_. Straight at Ethan's feet, there his partner was to defend him, but the people he listed were just a few he was able to recognize in the dim light. There were at least 3 dozen of them, Fairies and Seekers who were all back-to-back and prepared to fight.

 _ **Magnolia's final stand.**_ No, this was more than just Magnolia's final stand. This was his final stand. Ethan Hibiki's final stand.

This was for his Guild. Each step that he took was a step closer to clearing this city because they could not abandon Magnolia. This was their home. There was so much life, and love, and family that could not be torn apart. They could not let this place fall. Whether they went out or pulled through, each and every one of them were fighting for Magnolia. They were fighting to live.

He could feel the others in other parts of the city following them and taking stand. The Guild was defending themselves and the city, no doubt. He could feel it. He knew it.

"Knock them away!" Adam ordered, his voice surprisingly loud and easy to hear over the growls and snarls around them. Arwin followed, no one carrying who was one whose side anymore. These were _**lives**_. This war was _**invalid**_.

"Drive them down!" The redhead yelled, his hair falling in his face and at the sides of his head from under his black cap, but he just ignored its presence.

"We can beat them!" Ethan screamed, his voice full of determination. " _ **We can beat them**_!"

Each time he drove his blade into the head of Hebi's, he became more alive. His one eye was wide, blood dripping off every inch of his body, but he was the furthest thing from tired. Somewhere in the city and up at the Guild, everyone was fighting for their lives and he was doing the same. In fact, they were fighting for everyone's lives because that's what they did. They saved people. That's who they were.

"That's who I am…" Ethan whispered to himself.

The little voice that had been haunting him for the past couple of days had finally been extinguished. There was no longer a voice telling him to give up because no one cared. A new, much stronger and louder voice had filled the void, and he couldn't be happier with its response:  
 _ **"Hold on."**_

"Hold on…" He whispered to himself. They pushed further and further, and Ethan realized that his voice had reached Fate.

"Hold on!" She screamed.

All around him, people fought and pushed against the Hebi's to the point where he could truly see them clearing out. Turning his head to the right, he could see that Cathy had driven her sword, in which he had no clue where she got it from, into 3 Hebi's, holding them together and Ethan rose his machete up like a baseball bat and swung it forward, sending the 3 heads flying. Then, Cathy pulled the blade free and the trio of headless bodies fell to the floor in a heap.

"Keep backing it up!" Jordan ordered. "Then we'll push back!"

Ethan brushed back a bloody piece of black hair and glanced over his shoulder to see that they were nearing a wall, but he wasn't afraid. It wasn't a trap. It was strengthening their defense. Never again would they be trapped between a rock and a hard place. No, this was just another step in their fight back to reclaim their home. For the Seekers… they weren't Seekers anymore. This was their home now, too.

Ethan's clothes were sticking to him in uncomfortable ways, but he pushed through with Fate never leaving his side. No longer able to tell the difference between blood and sweat, he found himself grinning in the dark, looking down to see Fate looking up with a grin on her face.

Shoving his machete forward, he sliced away at another Hebi and then proceeded to kick the knee out of another. With it trapped on the ground, he rose his knee up and brought his foot down on its head, sending Hebi brains everywhere. They couldn't affect any of them by touching them anymore. They were weakening.

Suddenly, there was a very loud explosion followed by a giant burst of light and they all jumped in surprise. Whipping his head to the right, Ethan could see that a pond on the outskirts of Magnolia had gone alight. Giant flames licked the surface and he could feel the heat on his skin from where he stood.

Frozen in shock, Ethan allowed his blade and gun to drop as he, along with everyone else and the Hebi's included, turned their attention towards the fire. It seemed to grow higher and higher as the flames spread across the water's surface until even the surrounding grass appeared to have caught flame as well.

And then the Hebi's were shuffling away from them and towards the fire, their attention elsewhere. Ethan's heat was pounding fiercely in his chest, his eyes looking around to see others joining their side as all the Hebi's cleared out, walking away from them and straight past them. They were just focused on the fire, all of them, but then Ethan realized that others were yelling and starting back at the herd.

"Don't let up!" They yelled. "Chase them back!"

Without hesitation, Ethan was sprinting alongside Fate and diving headfirst into the herd, no longer afraid that they might not see the sun again. All around him, people were driving their way into the Hebi's and they were fighting as if they had never let up in the first place. If anything, his tank of adrenaline had just refilled and he could fight for days on end.

With the Hebi's backs' to them, it was much easier to kill; Cathy and Ethan merely had to swing their blades back and forth, taking out multiple Hebi's with single swings. Then, glancing to his left, Ethan smiled at the sight of Takanashi and Kurai shoulder-to-shoulder, pushing against the herd and fighting as if they had been doing it their whole lives. At first glance, you would never suspect that they were the ones that tended to avoid a fight. If anything, by the bright gleam in their eyes, you could see that they were enjoying it because as Terra would always tell him:

/ _ **"This is a story people are going to tell."**_ /

And it truly was; one day when the world was no longer like this and they were rewriting history, this would definitely go down as one of the big battles. Ethan could even imagine his name written in history along with Fate's and everyone else's. Magnolia was going to go down in history.

"Keep fighting!" Miharu cried from somewhere to his right. "Keep going!"

They were nearing the pond and the Hebi's had yet to realize that they were being attacked from behind. Like moths to a flame, the Hebi's made their way down the steep ravine and didn't stop moving until they were in the water, their bodies instantly catching aflame. Ethan let out a gasp at the sight, but couldn't help but let out a laugh because if the Hebi's had to go out, this truly was the quickest way. He heard Fate giggling alongside his laughing and he enjoyed it.

He enjoyed this.


	67. And You, Are, It

Rory watched from the front door as Cathy gently carried Ruri down the stairs with Abygale behind her, being cautious not to make much movement. The teenage Exceed squirmed within her partner's arms; her face twisted in pain as she held her breath like that would somehow stop the bleeding of her chest.

Both Adam and Jordan stood at his sides with their weapons at the ready, but as Rory walked out onto the porch, he was surprised to see that the street was nearly empty Just beyond the trees, eh could still see the giant flames from the pond licking the sky and could also hear the faint battle cries of the others fighting off the Hebi's.

Sides had apparently been sorted and the remaining Seekers were either helping and over everything or hiding somewhere and waiting to be killed. They would be killed, most likely.

"Sounds like we're winning…" Adam commented.

Rory nodded and walked down the porch steps and approached the nearest Hebi, making sure to take its leg out before he finished the job. He then watched as Adam and Jordan took out their own Hebi's, all 3 of them clearing a path for Cathy, Ruri and Abygale.

The sky was still dark, but Rory never needed the light to know his way to the Guild because the building itself was lit up like a beacon. It was probably the only building in Magnolia that was risking the use of power.

Sparing a glance over his shoulder, he could see that Cathy was quickening her pace and before Rory could tell her to be careful; he realized that she was moving faster because Ruri was crying out in pain. Her hands, which were once resting at her chest, were hanging limply at her sides and everything from her elbows down soaked in blood.

"Hang on, Ruri!" Rory called back. "We're almost there!"

* * *

Fate's head whipped back and forth, her gun raised as she squinted into the trees. She couldn't see anything from this distance, but she could hear the tromping of people in the forest around them. They weren't alone and these people were not friendly. The main Seekers aside the ones who had joined their side had found them.

 _ **And then she was blinded by light.**_

As the blinding light receded, Fate realized it was the source of dozens of car headlights being shined in their direction. Then she took in her surroundings and all she could see were faces upon faces of dozens of Seekers that hadn't chosen their own path. There were hundreds of them all around the group and they were pushing down person after person onto their knees, confiscating weapons as they went.

Her gun and knife were yanked harshly from her hands by none other than Callias himself and she watched as Tristan and her Mom stared back at her from the weapons they had given to her. She had gone back to get them, only to have them taken from her once again.

"Let's get the main ones in a line!" Someone called out and Fate looked up, seeing the silvery-gray hair of Xerum.

She suddenly saw the group that had gone back to the Guild and everyone who had been there approaching with even more Seekers. Her eyes met Marcy and Micah's, and they weren't crying. They were just scared and they didn't know what to do as Callias grabbed their Mother's shoulders and pushed her onto her knees in front of everyone, followed by their Father on her left.

Fate knew that Jackson was close by and probably smug about the fact that he put her through more than just his torture, but she didn't care as Ruri was placed down on her right. She looked so pale and sick, and it made Fate feel sick. Rory was placed beside the sick girl with a bullet in her chest and then Nate and Abygale followed.

Then, Cass and Olivia were pushed to the right of Ruri, side-by-side, and then Janiyah was thrown down beside them. That was their line, with everyone else around them and scared as Hell.

"We've got a full boat…" Norrin chuckled. "Let's meet the woman."

They all watched in silence, their hearts pounding and their breaths held as they watched the door of the only RV in the group of cars, awaiting each and every type of Hell that could be spilling out next.

After several seconds of silence, the door finally opened and a single woman stepped out. They all knew who she was and their eyes widened in shock and fear. Ruri and Rory both broke down into tears and Nate looked so angry that he might've exploded right then and there, but he didn't.

The woman wore a dark leather jacket, a black and white dress that reached past her knees, and pitch black combat boots. Her hair reached down to the middle of her back and was black, streaked with white and gray. She had a sense of arrogance a she walked towards all of them with a small smirk playing at her lips.

"Are you all pissing your pants yet?" She asked cockily as she stopped several feet in front of the small line consisting of Exceeds, 2 of them traitors to her and her Seekers. "Because boy… do I have a feeling that we're getting very close…"

No one answered, but from the quiet and broken sobs and the looks of shock and fear surrounding her, she giggled because she knew the answer. She made her way towards the line, a smirk on her face as she looked all of them up and down like a lion examining its prey before it went in for the brutal kill. She didn't seem intimated by their group in the slightest… They, on the other hand, were a completely different story.

Their group had never been at a lower point than it did as of right now. Many were battered and beaten with blood, sweat and tears dripping off skins as they struggled to stay balanced on their knees. Many were sick, physically and mentally, from the harsh reality they were forced to live in.

Fate was sick. Her stomach was twisted in knots, her knees and elbows were scratched up, and despite the cold she had a steady river of sweat making its way down the center of her back. She was almost positive she didn't look much better than Ruri did right now. Every time she spared a glance at her family or her partner, and it was very frequent, she found herself dry heaving, a mixture of coughs and sobs trying to escape her lips at the same time.

She was scared to look at them. Their eyes never left her and they were desperate to reach her. They were all so pale and she clenched her teeth together, another gurgling cry threatening to spill. Her cheeks were sticky with tears and she was frantically blinking so that she could actually see 2 feet in front of her. Only there was nothing she wanted to see. She was in the very center of Hell and there was no coming back from that.

The woman in front of her was Lucifera, the Angel of Darkness. The one who killed so many people, including Rory's older sister, Ava… And she moved down the line, putting titles on each of them by starting with Abygale.

"You're _**all**_ here. The Little One, Skyward, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, the Angels of Light and the users of Jade and Crimson… and then we have 2 little traitors now, don't we?" Lucifera asked.

 _ **Angels of Light**_. That hurt Fate because she was slapped with the realization that Destiny and Cass both shared the title due to being twins. They were in as much danger as the rest of them and it hurt Fate to think of that danger. Abygale wasn't even a year old yet and she had to face it. It made her sicker than she had been before.

"I do not appreciate you killing my Seekers and my Hebi's." Lucifera stated. "It wasn't cool… You're gonna regret crossing me in a few minutes… you really are."

Lucifera smiled again, but there was nothing nice about it. It was a taunt as if to get a rise out of some of them, but that wasn't going to happen. None of them stood a chance against this woman; not in their conditions.

Fate's body was trembling as she looked up from the cracked Earth and back up at Lucifera. She was already looking down at her, noticing how she tried to avoid contact, but now her dark, demonic eyes were all that she could see. Lucifera was testing her, daring her to look away, but now Fate refused to do so.

The act of defiance only made her smile.

"You don't really think you were gonna get through this without being punished, now, do you?" Lucifera asked. "Now, I don't want to kill you people—just want to make that clear from the get-go. What I want is for you to work for me. You can't do that if you're dead, now, can you? I'm not growing a fucking garden. But you killed my people, a whole damn lot of them. More than I'm comfortable with and for that… You're gonna pay. _**So now… I'm gonna beat the holy fucking Hell out of one of you.**_ "

Lucifera than started moving down the line again, kneeling down in front of Destiny, who sat up straight. He and Nate had emotionless faces while everyone else had some sort of emotion shining through.

"Hello Zachariah… You certainly out-did yourself this time." Lucifera stated as she glanced at Cass, who seemed to shiver, before looking back at the green Exceed. They remained in that stance, staring each other down for several seconds as they examine each other. "Shit, man, lighten up." She advised cockily. "At least shiver a little or even let a tear fall.

But Destiny remained a stone, determined to not show any emotion in front of that evil woman. Realizing that she wasn't going to get a reaction, Lucifera turned slightly and knelt down in front of Fate. They were so closed and Fate could feel the woman's breath on her chilled fur and see her own reflection in her dark eyes.

"Hello, there." Lucifera greeted. Fate remained silent, her tears freezing behind her eyes. "You're certainly small for your age, now, aren't you?" Lucifera ran her tongue along her lips, examining all of Fate's bandages. "I've heard _**a lot about you**_. I've got a little fighter, right? I saw the way you were with that shot-up bastard behind you. Is he important?"

Fate's chest constricted at the mention of her partner and she automatically glanced behind her. He was already staring at her in alarm, leaned forward slightly, but he couldn't move. Hell, everyone was looking at her, waiting to see if she was going to break and she felt herself slipping.

Tears were building. The dam in her mind was growing weaker and the cracks were growing louder. It was nearly impossible to tell them apart from the pounding of her heart.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Lucifera snapped her fingers and brought Fate's attention back to her. "Your eyes will remain on me because I am asking you a fucking question."

Fate clenched her teeth together to keep herself from talking, but she was desperate to scream i Lucifera's face. She was desperate to grab her gun and blow her brains out right then and there. Even if she died before the woman's body hit the ground, she would be fine with it.

Realizing she wasn't going to get an answer, Lucifera turned her questions in another direction.

"Well, Sapphire…" She started with a careless sigh, looking up and down the line. "Which one of these fine young men do you belong to? Or do you belong to a woman?"

Destiny suddenly tensed and Fate could feel her body shaking, but that had started long ago. Ruri leaned forward out of pain and placed a hand over one of Fate's to comfort her, not caring if it got her into trouble. Slowly, a wide grin spread across Lucifera's lips.

"Yah…" She murmured. "I can see it on your face. It's definitely the older Angel or Emerald. No fucking doubt about it. So… Is it the injured girl or the serial killer? I want an answer this time."

Fate chewed on her bottom lip, the knots in her stomach growing tighter the longer Lucifera stared at her. There was no way in Hell Lucifera was going to get an answer out of her. Fate knew she had taken an interest in her, and she wasn't sure why, but she refused to let the woman hurt her like that.

Only, she didn't expect her to hurt the ones she cared about just to get an answer from her.

"Neither of them?" Lucifera asked cockily. "So you won't mind if I do this?"

Lucifera whipped out her gun and aimed it at Destiny before Fate could even scream a protest, she had pulled the trigger.

" _ **No**_!" Fate screamed, the sound bloodcurdling in her own ears. " _ **Stop it! Stop it**_!"

Fate lurched forward at Destiny, grasping at him and sighing in relief when she realized the bullet hadn't hit him. Lucifera had simply fired a warning shot, the bullet hitting the ground between them. Tears were streaming down Fate's cheeks, her throat raw from such harsh and unexpected screams. Lucifera chuckled.

"Young love…" She murmured, turning away from them. "It's truly an ugly and tragic thing."

Fate's hands ran absentmindedly up and down Destiny's chest, almost unable to see him through the tears in her eyes. Destiny reached a shaking hand and cupped her cold cheek in his warm hand.

"I'm okay…" Destiny murmured in her ear. "It's okay."

"It's not okay…" Fate sobbed with a shake of her head.

"You need to let go of me." He ordered softly. "Don't let her use me against you again."

Knowing that he was right, Fate unclenched her hands from around his shirt and allowed Destiny to sit on his own again. Putting distance between them, Fate stared down at the piece of impacted Earth from the bullet. Tears were building, but she blinked them away at the sound of Lucifera letting out a low whistle.

"Jesus, you look shitty." She muttered in disgust.

The words were directed towards Ruri, but she refused to look Lucifera in the eye. Meanwhile, Rory was on the edge of his seat, tears filling his eyes at how defenceless his best friend was. He was so close, yet so far. Lucifera let out a sigh.

"I should just put you out of your misery right now."

She grabbed at the frail Exceed and raised her hand, prepared to land the first strike. Fate's eyes widened, but before she could scream her own protest, Rory was already doing it. He cried out and launched from his seat, determined to claw at Lucifera's lingering hand, but before he could even get close, he was tackled and thrown to the ground by Jackson.

Punches and kicks were delivered to Rory's body and Ruri let out a scream of agony.

" _ **NO**_!" She screamed with her voice hoarse. " _ **Stop it, please! Don't hurt him!**_ "

Lucifera watched the scene unfold and shook his head in what looked like pure disappointment, ordering Jackson to get Rory back in line. Jackson grabbed Rory harshly by his shirt and shoved him back in the line. He kicked and screamed, determined to get away.

" _ **No**_!" He shouted angrily, but just as quickly, his voice dropped and he pleaded for Ruri's life. "Don't… Don't, please…"

Fate had never seen Rory so weak and defenceless before and the sight of him on his knees with a pale face and tears in his eyes was enough to make her own eyes water. Lucifera only chuckled at him.

"Alright, listen up." Lucifera started. "Don't _**any of you**_ fucking do that _**again**_. I will shut that shit down—no exceptions. First on is free. It's an emotional moment, I get it." She sent a smile towards Rory, whose eyes were still locked on Ruri's. Lucifera then looked down at Fate, who froze once again. "It sucks, doesn't it? The moment you realize you don't know shit."

Fate looked down, keeping her gaze on the ground, but tilted her head slightly to the left so she could look at her children. They were her beautiful pair of fraternal twins. They were her weird little Marcy and her gentle little Micah.

Lucifera, however, noticed this and turned her attention towards the 2 little kids, who were being protected in their Grandparents' arms. She let out a laugh as the realization hit her.

"Those are your _**kids**_ , aren't they?" She asked, motioning to the little Exceeds. Micah started to breathe heavily as tears filled his eyes, but Marcy stayed like Destiny did. She showed no emotion on her face, but Fate could just tell that she was scared and angry. "Yah, those are definitely your kids… and you're using the older Angel as their Fatherly figure, aren't you. _**I can tell that Jackson did a number on you**_."

" _ **Stop this**_!" Destiny suddenly yelled furiously.

" _ **Hey**_!" Lucifera snapped sternly. " _ **Do not**_ make me _**kill**_ the little _**future serial killers**_. Don't make it easy on me. Look, I gotta pick somebody. _**Everybody**_ is at the table, waiting for me to order, but I simple cannot decide."

She turned away from the parents, who instantly grabbed each other's hands and intertwined their fingers as the woman began moving up and down the line again.

"Ah… I have a good idea." Lucifera announced, starting in the middle of the line. " _Eenie_ …" She started teasingly.

Fate's body instantly stiffened at the realization of what was happening. Before she could stop it, before any of them could it, Lucifera continued moving, pointing her fingers in multiple faces as she sang the childish tone.

" _Meenie… Miney… Mo… Catch… A tiger… By… His toe… If… He hollers… Let him go_."

Lucifera reached Fate and she looked up, their eyes locking together. Her heart was racing in her chest and she looked away as she moved on before starting over again. The eerie thing was that none of them knew who she was going to land on. Lucifera began moving erratically, pointing the bat at any given face she wanted.

" _My Mother… Told me… To pick… The very… Best one…_ "

Fate's eyes locked with her Dad's and she could see the rare occurrence of tears filling his eyes. His middle Daughter was stuck in a line awaiting possible death and if Micah and/or Marcy were in her position, she would be bawling her eyes out and trying to help.

But she knew that he couldn't do anything and that he knew it, too. He was busy holding Marcy, who was itching to start running, and her Mother, who was starting to cry with her Grandson.

Then, Fate turned her head to the left and her eyes met with Destiny's. He was already looking back at her, his face expressionless. She sucked in a shaky breath, a single tear moving down her cheek as she stared at the boy in front of her.

"I love you…" She whispered softly. Then, she closed her eyes.

" _And you… Are…_ "

Fate's eyes snapped open again. Her vision was instantly filled with leathery boots and her blood went cold as her eyes slowly shifted upwards, coming face-to-face with the sight of none other than the Devil's assistant herself. Multiple gasps and cries of agony filled the air as Fate stared up into Lucifera's vicious eyes, grinning down at her in complete and absolute blood lust.

 _ **"It."**_


	68. Memories Pt 1 (3)

One moment, Fate was staring up into Lucifera's eyes as she ordered her Seekers to pull back everyone else and ordered her to stand for the first strike, but she refused. Then, Fate was flying backwards, wincing at the feeling spreading across her back as she slid across the ground.

This continued until Fate's back hit none other than the RV, making her let out a cry of pain, clutching at her chest to try and regain her lost breath. She gritted her teeth together to keep from saying something she might regret later… if she had a later.

She could hear everyone screaming to her and at Lucifera to stop, but there wasn't much that could be done. Fate was momentarily worried when Marcy rushed out of Tenshi's arm to try and get to her Mother, but Tenshi was quick and caught the little girl, pulling her into his arms as tears started to fall from both of their eyes. Micah and Akuma were already on the ground, clinging to each other.

And Fate wanted nothing more than to just hold her children one last time, but that wasn't going to happen.

Lucifera stepped on her, once again ripping open her C-Section wounds as she bit her lip harshly, trying not to scream. She couldn't get out of this and there was no way she could fight back without dying in an instant, so all she could do was take the beating. It would probably kill her anyways.

"How does the dirt taste?" Lucifera asked smugly, but Fate stayed silent. She stared up at the woman with tears in her eyes and her lips pursed, but Lucifera only raised her foot and slammed it back down, pulling a whimper from Fate's throat. "I asked you a fucking question!"

A small smirk rose onto Fate's lips as she stared death in the eye, knowing that this was okay. No one else was dying and no one else was going to die. It would just be her and then her Guild would be fine. They'd get over her.

" _ **Like your taste in men.**_ " Fate joked although she was honestly serious about it.

She could be sarcastic all the way to her grave and even though that may have been Ethan's thing, they weren't partners for no reason. However, it only brought her significant pain in her abdomen as Lucifera's heel dug into her open wound, opening it more. Fate clenched her teeth and took deep breaths, but it barely helped. She was hoping that this would be a quick beating, but obviously Lucifera had other plans for her.

"Do you usually not watch your mouth?" Lucifera questioned with a hiss, making Fate chuckle as she turned her head to the side, coughing up more blood, before turning back to the woman.

" _ **I just like to talk to people with some standards**_." She responded.

In that moment, Lucifera was no longer smug and was just angry. She grabbed the collar of Fate's tank top and threw her across their little half-circle, listening to her grunt, screaming a little bit, and then continue breathing heavily as she clutched at her abdomen.

"You just think that you are so _**smart**_ , now don't you?" Lucifera asked, slowly making her way over to Fate, who was trying to at least sit up. "Why are you even trying?"

"Because I don't believe that this world can't be saved!" Fate yelled between her coughs as more blood slipped from her throat and through her lips, hitting the ground beneath her before she turned to look up at Lucifera. "How did you get here and when did it start? What kind of world do we live in, where love is divided by hate? We all must be dreaming this life away…"

"You will be rotting away in this world soon enough. It's cold. That's just how it is." Lucifera stated. "I thought that you were supposed to be smarter than me…"

"I may not always be right, but I'm never _**wrong**_." Fate sighed, her throat already raw yet so slippery and bubbly because of her blood. "I just have an _**opinion**_ and I'm _**thinking**_ —something you probably have never even done in your life."

And then the constant beating started all over again and the others cried and screamed in agony. Some were desperate adn some were hopeless, but Fate started to lose all feeling in her body. She could only think of the moments she could remember, all of them. All of her feelings, all of her failures, all of her achievements… She remembered everything.

* * *

 _All of the sudden, she heard the bushes rustling and looked up only to be tackled onto her back and pinned to the ground. Fate looked up to see the face of another Exceed, his fur a blended color of green and his eyes were hazel with a noticeable tint of green in them._

 _For some reason, the moment Fate saw him she was almost confident that she had completely relaxed although she didn't know him. He stared down at her, and she stared up at him. That was until the green Exceed got off of her and started to apologize._

 _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry! I-I didn't mean to pin you like that, and nonetheless for so long. I'm sorry!" He kept apologizing._

 _"It's okay!" Fate finally told him as she sat up. He immediately stopped talking and freaking out and looked at her in disbelief._

 _"It's okay...?" He asked. Fate nodded and the Exceed sighed in relief for some reason._

* * *

 _"Are you okay?"_

 _Ethan and Fate turned to see a white Exceed. There were blue stripes on the back of both of his ears and the tip of his tail was red, and he was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt and black shorts. The thing about him that caught Fate's attention was his ruby red eyes. When she turned around, he froze._

 _"Hey, can you stand?" A girl with shoulder-length brown hair, with a distinctive purple bang, and brown eyes asked._

 _Ethan nodded, though he didn't get up because he was still looking around at the unconscious Forest Vulcan._

 _"Rory, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." A black Exceed asked, landing on the ground beside him._

 _She also had blue stripes on the back of her ears, but the tip of her tail was green. She was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and a green skirt. Her eyes were emerald green. She looked at Fate and then froze herself._

 _"Wh-What...?" Fate asked. Everyone turned to see what was happening._

 _"W-We found..." Ruri trailed off. Fate made eye contact with Rory before he spoke._

 _"Sapphire…"_

* * *

 _When the knife was pulled out of Fate's shoulder, it almost hurt more. She could feel it bleeding like crazy, and she felt like there was no need to hide the tears that were slipping out of the corners of her eyes or the sobs that escaped her throat._

 _She felt the knife pressing against her right cheek, and pressure being applied. Without warning, his face was blank as he pulled the knife down painfully slow, so she would feel the entire cut. A whimper escaped her and a smile rose to his face as he pulled the knife away._

 _The smile disappeared as he heard something-no, someone-approaching. He got quickly, pulling Fate up with him despite her protests, and tightly held her from behind by wrapping his left arm around the front of her shoulders, even though his hand was applying pressure to her shoulder._

 _"Fate!"_

 _Fate opened her eyes, weakly seeing Destiny appear. Destiny froze at the sight of her. Injured, covered in dirt and blood that seeped out of shoulder and dribbled down her right cheek. She barely had any fight left in her, hence the tear tracks that were staining her cheeks and getting run over by more tears as they escaped her eyes._

 _It didn't take long to have her in this state, but Destiny's eyes widened at not only her, but the person behind her. Destiny went to move, but stopped when the Exceed gently pressed the knife to the left side of her forehead, daring Destiny to move._

* * *

 _Destiny's eyes widened as he raised his hand with the knife in it then brought it down. Destiny reached out for Fate, but it was too late as the knife dug into the left side of her forehead, then pulled out covered in more blood than before._

* * *

 _They looked up and gasped. Fate stood there, cancelling out the magic with her right paw. When the spell was completely cancelled out, she stood there panting. She had thrown on Ethan's jacket, the sleeves and the bottom of it all rolled up so it fit her._

 _"Fate..." Destiny mumbled._

* * *

 _Everyone braced themselves as Acnologia landed. Fate, however, lost her footing and was about to go flying before Rory grabbed her and pulled her down._

 _"R-Rory..." Fate trailed off._

 _"This dragon isn't like the one you met. It's stronger, and darker. Do me a favor, and don't go spouting anything from that mouth of yours. I wouldn't be able to help myself if you died, Fate." Rory said. Fate's cheeks went pink, because that was the first time Rory had called her by her name, or even said her name._

* * *

 _"We are Fairy Tail. We'll beat any enemy, and then we'll go home." Destiny said. Fate stared at him. "Let's go home together, Fate." Fate nodded and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up._

 _Everyone joined hands, and Fate was between Destiny and Ethan._

 _'We will never give up! Not ever...'_

* * *

 _Destiny was quiet, until he heard sobbing. Fate was shaking._

 _"After this stupid 7 year gap, I feel so alone. I'm gaining this strength from this magic that doesn't feel like magic. I didn't even have to learn it, it just... showed up and now I'm able to use it. Wherever I go, disaster seems to follow. I'm so problematic, it's ridiculous. I have 6 fears, I'm sure I have some sort of nightmare disorder... I'm not sure if I hate myself, or if I'm just... scared..."_

 _Everything was silent, except for the small sobs that escaped Fate. All of the sudden, Destiny hugged her from behind._

 _"We'll figure this out together. All of us, together. Fairy Tail is a part of a lot of crises; it's not abnormal to us. Whenever you're scared or down or whatever, you have people to go to. I, for one, am never going to leave you." Destiny said, burying his face into her shoulder. Fate started crying harder and placed her paws over his, which were resting just above her stomach and nodded._

* * *

 _Fate was cut off when a pair of lips pressed against hers, ever so gently and then all at once. She wasn't sure how to react at first, but she found herself relaxing into the kiss, although she wasn't really accepting it either. Although when Destiny pulled away, she had to suppress a whimper for whatever reason._

 _She knew she wouldn't be able to shake that feeling off, because her face was heated and her stomach was turning, even her heart was racing. She didn't know this feeling, but it didn't scare her. Destiny backed away from her._

 _"Everyone says I'm fearless and optimistic. That's only because my only fear is losing you or someone I'm close with, and I never want to think of the negative things that could happen." Destiny explained. He looked up, meeting her eyes. They were still wide, and full of confusion. He sighed softly. "I love you."_

* * *

 _"You are its user. No one else can use it. Fate, your powers are yours and yours alone. Though some others have "Noroi", and there's another key and its user... you can't be foolish. You can worry, you can be afraid; you can feel anything you wish. But, you can't be foolish and careless. I understand that you're scared for everyone around you, but you have to protect yourself before you can protect them." Porlyusica explained._

* * *

 _It was an egg, colored white and lilac purple._

 _"It looks like an Exceed egg." Fate stated. Destiny nodded. It was true, after all._

* * *

 _"I don't care what you think of me. I want to help. If the Angel of Darkness is released, then I want to find the Angel of Light and the Little One, and I want to seal her away again. Or... any kind of needed measure. But, I don't think I can do that if I know you can't tolerate me."_

 _"Ava, I-"_

 _"Ava?"_

 _Rory's eyes widened and then he looked upset. Fate knew that he had gone over a line and sighed._

 _"Sorry." Fate went to get up, but Rory pulled her back down. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him._

 _"I don't tolerate you, because I don't hate you. I like you; you're like... a sister in some ways. The first time I met you, I was happy that we had found our Sapphire, but... I got mad because I ended up comparing you to the previous Sapphire." Rory explained._

* * *

 _Fate felt uneasy, not being able to tell where Jackson was. Suddenly, she saw a flash of red and she turned, meeting a pair of orange eyes as a hand roughly grabbed her arm._

 _"LET ME GO!" Fate screamed, and Destiny turned around and reached out to grab her, but it was already too late as Jackson disappeared, taking Fate with him._

* * *

 _Jackson had left her in a small room with 4 walls and a locked door. The little light that she had came from the window that was high up, nonetheless barred off. For some reason, she couldn't use any magic or anything, so she was stuck. What bugged her the most was how small the room seemed, and how the walls almost seemed like they were closing in on her. She glanced at her backpack, and suddenly felt really scared._

* * *

 _A sharp smacking sound was audible through the cell. Fate felt a burning sensation in her cheek as she stared at the right wall with wide eyes for a moment. She looked back at Jackson, who didn't look amused._

 _"Where is the Key of Jade?" Jackson asked again._

 _"I told you already... I don't know..." Fate replied. Another heavy slap across the face. This time, Fate recovered with a glare._

 _"Where is the Key of Jade? I won't ask again."_

 _"I don't know, you asshole! I'm not a fucking encyclopedia for all your stupid shit!"_

 _This time, it was a heavy punch that sent her whole body to the floor, despite that she was sitting. Fate felt blood trickling out of her nose._

 _'Figures.' Fate thought as Jackson stood up and began to walk away._

 _"You might want to watch your mouth. We're going to be spending a lot of time together."_

* * *

 _"Let me ask you again. Where is the Key of Jade?" Jackson asked. The pressure between him and the wall hurt, her hands even felt numb behind her back._

 _"I'm telling you the truth. I don't know." Fate replied._

 _All in a second, not even, he pulled her away from the wall and then smashed her back into it roughly. Fate felt something snap and pain shot up one of her sides. She couldn't stop herself from screaming in pain before Jackson let her go, her body dropping to the ground. She curled her body, attempting to subdue the pain, but it was obvious that Jackson had just broken one or more of her ribs. Tears streamed down her face when Jackson left, and she even started to sob._

* * *

 _Fate tried breathing around Jackson's grip, but it was nearly impossible. It hadn't taken him long to come back, only to question her, gain the same answer and then torture her some more. Fate had been expecting more hurtful violence, but instead Jackson had grabbed her throat in a suffocating grip and lifted her up off of the ground. By now, Fate was still scared of being alone, but it was better than having to see Jackson's face and to be tortured by him. She was sure that it was his amusement now and not just for one answer._

* * *

 _Destiny._

 _She hadn't given any thought to him. The Seekers of Nothing wouldn't stop him from coming to save her, right? She had planned to figure out a way out on her own, but she couldn't move as she was now. For some reason, she'd give anything just to see Destiny again._

 _Fate sobbed, but this time it wasn't from the physical pain inflicted on her. It was from the pain of thinking of Destiny, when he wasn't around. She wanted him to be there- she needed him to be there._

 _"Destiny... please help me... please..."_

* * *

 _So when she heard footsteps, she froze and swallowed hard. She couldn't turn around, she didn't want to, especially not when she heard a belt buckle coming undone._

 _'What-'_

 _Her thoughts were cut off when something snapped across her back, causing her to scream at the heavy burning feeling. Then, the pieces clicked together in her head._

 _ **He had hit her with his belt.**_

* * *

 _"I've used all my methods of torture, except for one. Yet, you haven't given me the location of the Key of Jade. I have to say, I am in the slightest bit impressed. But, I'll ask you once more. Where is the Key of Jade?" Jackson asked._

 _"I don't know." Fate replied. She didn't know how many times she had said that she didn't know, but what she did know was that it was far too many._

 _"Well then, we'll have to move on to the last method of torture I am capable of. Perhaps it'll be... more enjoyable. If you relax, that is."_

 _Fate's eyes widened as she backed away as fast as she could, only to have her back hit the wall._

* * *

 _"I can only assume that you went through hell from how much you're bleeding, and how much you probably bled." Lily whispered, getting a nod from Fate. "It's alright, we're all here now."_

* * *

 _"You will learn to fight, I have faith in that. And as you are now, you're highly intelligent and you're very loyal. You and Ethan share many things, and if one day he feels like there's no light, he'll have you there for him. Am I right?"_

 _Fate turned around, looking at the younger Ethan who was sleeping. His hat laid upside-down beside him, and his jacket was draped over a small girl and a little blue and white dragon, and they were also sleeping._

 _"What about Takanashi and Sina?" Fate asked as the little girl shifted, draping one of her small arms over the little dragon._

 _"They have each other." Terra replied._

 _"And you?"_

 _"This is for a reason, Fate. Will you accept, or reject?"_

 _"... I'll protect Ethan. I promise."_

* * *

 _"… You're a prince, and yet you have feelings for me?"_

 _Destiny sighed, his face going a bit pink._

 _"I can't really help it… when I first saw you; I just thought you were cute. But when I started to actually get to know you, I started to like you a lot. Then on Tenroujima, I realized that I really liked you… I'm sorry…" Destiny apologized._

 _"Don't apologize. Like you said, you can't really help it."_

 _They were quiet again, before Fate broke the silence again._

 _"Hey, Destiny…"_

 _"Yah…?"_

 _"After this, once we get back home… I promise that I'll give you my answer, okay?"_

* * *

 _"I'm sorry… I'm glad I got to meet you, Fairy Tail… It was a pleasure to work alongside you 2… Olivia Edeline… James Owen… thanks for being kind when no one else was… Ame "Fate" Konno."_

 _Jonah shattered into a million pieces of light that almost instantly disappeared. Olivia stared for a moment before she broke down in tears._

 _"JONAH, YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US! YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT! DON'T LEAVE US LIKE THIS!" Olivia cried, screaming at the top of her lungs. James wrapped his arms around her and they both cried on each other's shoulders._

 _Fate stared in disbelief, her hands covered in Jonah's blood._

 _'You're welcome… Goodbye, Jonah Greene.'_

* * *

 _Fate's face was pink, and it became a darker pink before Destiny suddenly had a pair of lips locked with his own._

 _It took him a moment to realize that Fate was kissing him and when it clicked in his head, he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. One of Fate's arms wrapped around his neck, her free hand resting on his chest._

 _They pulled away when both of their lungs started to beg for air, and they rested their foreheads against each other's._

 _"I want to be there for you and everyone else as well. You've all been there for me, and you've had my back this whole time. I don't want to sit on the side, but I don't want to push you all to the side either. I want to fight back-to-back with all of you, and I don't want us to lose. Battles or family." Fate explained. "These are my feelings. They give you my answer: Yes."_

 _Destiny pulled Fate into a proper hug, which she gladly accepted._

 _"I love you, Destiny."_

 _"I love you, too, Fate."_

* * *

 _Suddenly, they heard a crack and they both whirled around to see that the egg was shaking and that it had cracked at the top. They quickly got up, Fate dropping her things at their feet. The egg hatched, revealing a small, female lilac purple Exceed. She opened her eyes, revealing them to be azure blue, before she started rubbing one of them with one of her small paws._

 _Fate acted quickly as she removed her flannel shirt and swung it over the little girls' shoulders before helping her into it and then buttoning it up. The little Exceed looked down at it before holding her arms up, looking up at Fate. The sleeves were too long, so Fate rolled them up._

 _The Exceed dropped her hands, but continued look at Fate, who continued to look back before the small Exceed rubbed her eyes again._

 _"Oh, it hatched!?" Mira asked from behind the bar, quickly running over. Everyone who was left in the guild gathered around to see. "She's so adorable!" Mira exclaimed. "Did you 2 happen to think of a name?"_

 _Fate and Destiny looked at each other before they spoke a first and last name._

 _"Abygale—"  
"—Seo."_

* * *

 _"I... I told you that Jackson had given me a new fear, and it was because of a certain way that he had hurt me."_

 _"Fate, what do you mean...?"_

 _Fate took a deep breath._

 _"I'm pregnant."_

* * *

 _"I want you to dare say that about Happy again." Fate stated. The Exceed with the blue vest suddenly leaned forward, grabbing one of Fate's hands and shaking it._

 _"Hello, beautiful! My name is Lector, and this is my buddy Frosch! So sorry for the words that happened to be exchanged a couple of moments ago! What's your name?" He asked. Fate dropped her glare, suddenly confused._

 _"Uh... Fate, but—"_

 _"Fate, I see! A beautiful name for a beautiful woman!"_

* * *

 _'Make him give it up...' Fate thought, annoyed that she wouldn't be left alone. Fate suddenly got an idea and she instantly held Destiny's hand, moving a bit closer to him and resting their hands on her knee._

 _"Wh—"_

 _"Just go with it for me, please."_

* * *

 _"What's it like...? Having this life around almost all the time, one that you... made...?" Fate asked._

 _"No matter how many you have, they're all precious. Even when they're adopted, they're precious, but... knowing that you made a life that might eventually be in your exact spot right now is... it's amazing, seeing that. Holding them in your arms is the only thing you'll ever need in your life. An extra wonderful thing is having someone who'll be there to support you no matter what... and no matter how much of a brat that little person can get to be." She explained._

* * *

 _Fate couldn't stop the tears that streamed down her face as she smiled, unable to look away from the screen in front of her. A 7 year gap that nearly tore Fairy Tail out of the ranks… 3 months of training for all of this… so much going wrong and so much interference… and in the end, they won._

 _Even if they had all been sure they would win, it still raised all of their spirits to see their team standing there, worn out and injured, but they had won. They had won for all of their comrades, despite the harsh, tough road that had been in front of them._

 _Booed from day one… and now they were here._

* * *

 _"It's a boy. I want to name him Michael Shinko Allyn Seo, and just call him Micah for short." Fate said, making Destiny smile._

 _"A boy, huh…? His name… you don't have to put my last name in there, you know… but it's sounds wonderful." Destiny commented._

 _"I want to put your last name in there for a reason I'm going to bring up now."_

 _Destiny was confused, but he nodded to tell her to go on._

 _"First… I love you." Fate said. Destiny blushed a bit._

 _"I love you, too… but why are you saying it all of the sudden…?" Destiny asked._

 _"In case something happens, to you or me or the both of us. I just want to have fresh words in my memory, because I know that we'll be separated at some point. It always happens."_

* * *

 _Fate hugged him back tightly, taking in how warm he made her feel and his scent. For no apparent reason, Destiny always smelt like warm milk and honey, which was indeed a scent. It calmed her down, always and without fail._

 _"Would you be Micah's father?"_

 _Destiny wasn't expecting that to be the question, and he pulled away to look at Fate. Her sapphire blue eyes held a lot of worry, but they showed how sincere she was. He smiled down at her before leaning in, pressing his lips against hers. Completely forgetting about everything, Fate kissed him back, leaving them both with a moment to remember._

 _Destiny pulled away, resting his forehead against Fate's. They maintained eye contact as Destiny smiled._

 _"Don't take this the wrong way, but I kind of intended to be a father figure for Micah since the night you told me that you were pregnant." Destiny said, the tone of his voice low. Fate smiled, nodding._

 _"Thank you." Fate thanked him, her voice nearly a whisper._

* * *

 _"I saw you…" Destiny trailed off._

 _"Don't worry. I'm here and I always will be. There's so much to talk about…" She pulled away a bit, making eye contact with him. "But for now… just kiss me."_

 _Destiny didn't need to be told twice. He leaned in right away and captured her lips with his and this time; she didn't wait to kiss him back._

* * *

 _Fate was cut off by a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen, and it wasn't cramps. The pain was enough to make her cut herself off with a shriek and fall to her knees, clutching her stomach. Destiny fell down after her, catching her in his arms before she could hit the ground and damage her knees._

 _"Are you okay!? What's wrong, Fate!?" Destiny asked, obviously panicking._

 _When Fate looked up, Destiny's expression was priceless when he saw the smile on her face and the tears of joy that were running down her cheeks. She was sobbing from the pain that continued to pound in her abdomen, but the pain was nothing because of what was causing it._

 _"Micah's kicking."_

* * *

 _When Fate heard Asher's voice, she couldn't believe how it sounded. It was hoarse like he had been screaming and it was strained like he was holding back a bunch of sobs, but it mostly sounded innocent. It wasn't like before. Before, it was cold, empty and almost sickly sweet... but now it was almost like a child's voice._

 _"You can't do this! You can't hurt her! Please, do whatever you want with me, just don't hurt her!" Asher yelled._

 _The other Exceeds smirk only grew as he chuckled._

 _"You're such an idiot. She's naive... she just needs a little lesson."_

 _The Exceed turned and started to walk away, making Asher scream at him. When rock fell from the roof and clinked against the rock underneath his feet, Asher froze before screaming more. As the Exceed disappeared from sight, Asher screamed his full name._

 _"_ _ **Callias Dain Minnet**_ _!"_

* * *

 _"Tristan, I think that I'm scared of heights!" Fate yelled. Her voice seemed to come out in one big pant and Tristan instantly panicked._

 _"Fate, you have to calm down! You're sending yourself into a panic attack, you need to take deep breaths and think about something else! Then, you have to jump or we'll be separated and I know that you're scared of being alone!" Tristan yelled, holding out his arms for when she was ready._

* * *

 _The trio stayed like that for awhile before Fate felt a sudden sharp pain wash over her. It was accompanied by the feeling of something wet running down her legs and she felt her breath shortening as the pain increased drastically._

 _"Tr-Tristan..." Fate choked out, wincing a bit._

 _"Yah...?" Tristan asked, peering down the tunnel in front of them. Fate let out a shaky breath, trying to control the pain, but it was becoming too much for her to handle. She knew that this mission would take an unexpected turn, but she didn't think that the turn would be so big._

 _"I... I-I think... I think my water br-broke..."_

 _2 pairs of eyes were instantly on her and Tristan was by her side within seconds. However, Fate couldn't hold back a piercing scream as even more pain flowed through her body, gripping onto Tristan's shirt since it was one of the closest things to her. The pain came in giant waves like tomorrow wouldn't even exist and Fate couldn't feel brave for shit._

 _"Tr-Tristan, please d-do something! Anything, i-it_ _ **REALLY**_ _hurts!" Fate yelled, tears falling out of her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, nearly in rivers. Tristan seemed to still be processing it all and Fate screamed again. "_ _ **TRISTAN, IT HURTS**_ _!"_

 _Tristan registered the situation and began to panic._

 _"Oh my god... oh my god, what do I do!?" Tristan asked, but Fate had been screaming when he asked her, so she didn't hear him._

* * *

 _Callias was suddenly kissing her again and she was about to push away once more, but once a certain metallic-tasting liquid touched her tongue, she found herself kissing him back for more of it. Even if the metallic taste was horrible, she found it nearly sweet and unusually addicting. However, once she realized what she was doing, she pushed Callias away from her and took a couple of steps back as she gasped for air._

 _"Cravings are harder to control as a vampire." Callias stated, watching as Fate went pale with the realization that she had indeed been turned into a vampire._

 _"What's going on in the real world!?" Fate asked, her voice full of panic._

 _Callias smirked and held up one of his hands, pausing for a moment before snapping his fingers. Nothing happened for a couple of seconds, but Fate suddenly felt a searing pain in her stomach and it was bad enough to send Fate straight to the ground._

 _Fate was lying on her right side with her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach as she screamed and cried over the unbearable pain she was feeling. It stopped within an instant and Fate nearly threw up from the sudden inhale of air she had taken by accident when the pain stopped._

 _"You went into labor down in the tunnel with Tristan and Jered by your side. You passed out from the pain and instant exhaustion, and because Jered turned you into a vampire. The reason he did it was so you would make it back to the guild after the 2 boys found the rest of your group. That pain was from the emergency c-section that Mirajane pulled last-minute. You've been in a coma for a week and a half or so since then." Callias explained. "You're in for a surprise when you wake up, but nonetheless, congratulations. It's about time you wake up, no?"_

* * *

 _"You were pregnant with a pair of fraternal twins." Destiny replied, the tone of his voice very low._

* * *

 _"She's a mix of 3 different things... an Exceed, a Vampire and a Demon..."_

* * *

 _"Marceline..." Fate mumbled, catching Destiny's attention._

 _"Huh...?" Destiny asked softly._

 _"Marceline Jade Konno Seo, Marcy for short. Is that a good girl name?"_

 _Destiny took a moment and then smiled._

 _"That's sounds perfect."_

* * *

 _The soft, warm tickle of fur brushing against one of Fate's arms confused her. It was gentle, as if not to wake her, and smooth, as if it had just been washed and brushed. She felt a really small and sudden breath against one of her ears before she heard Destiny's voice telling someone to stop softly, a giggle following as the bed shifted a bit. That small giggle me her feel warm and she was unsure of why._

 _"Dad, is she gonna be okay...?" A small voice asked softly._

 _"She's just sleeping, it's okay." Destiny replied in a soft whisper._

 _Fate suddenly had a feeling that she knew what was happening and even though she just wanted to get up instantly, she only slowly opened her eyes. She didn't know what to think when she felt the weight of the bed shift again, revealing Destiny and 2 smaller Exceeds... although; one of them didn't look too much like an Exceed. It didn't seem to matter as she made eye-contact with Destiny, getting a small nod and a soft look from him._

* * *

 _When Fate noticed their concern, she shook away her thoughts that she could go over later and smiled, trying to hold back the sudden wave of emotion she felt. Destiny seemed to notice because the next thing she knew was that he was holding her and she was able to cry on his shoulder. Even though she thought that Micah and Marcy wouldn't understand her tears, they seemed to cope with the fact and just did what their father figure had. They just hugged her and held her, and when she was ready to return the favor, they stayed there._

* * *

 _"Marcy, that was mean and completely unfair! You can't just let go of me!" Micah stated, obviously upset. Marcy, however, seemed oblivious to the fact that she had upset her brother._

 _"Be happy to fell into Mom and not onto the ground." Marcy said._

 _ **Mom**_ _. Every time either of them would call her that, her heart would flutter even more than that one time on the train when Destiny basically first called her beautiful. It almost felt like she was going to faint or have a panic attack, perhaps at the same time, but in a good sort of way._

* * *

 _Fate nodded, hugging him back before feeling their tails brush against each other, making her blush. She could tell from Destiny's breathing that he was testing her boundaries a little bit and it made her smile as she intertwined her tail with his, blushing more at the new and weird feeling. She felt Destiny kiss the top of her head and she returned it by kissing his neck gently, but that made him pull away._

 _She could see the blush on his face and it made her blush even more before his lips found hers, his arms holding her close to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck in order to bring him closer as she returned the kiss, enjoying the sudden warmth that collided with the previously cold air._

 _She never took much notice, but Destiny's lips were soft and always had enough heat to make her feel alive again. He kissed her so gently and passionately that every time they kissed, she wondered if he could ever make her feel unsafe. Even when their kisses were small, he was able to calm all of her emotions down instantly. If she was going to be honest, all it took was his hand in hers or even a little bit of any kind of contact. He was amazing._

 _What got her the most was the fact that he had loved her first. From the moment he saw her, according to him. She didn't know what about her there was to love, but she was sure as hell glad that he saw something. She would've lost it by now without him and there was no denying it. Destiny was the Exceed that she wanted to be with for the rest of whatever life the both of them had, even if it sounded weird to everyone else around them. It was what she wanted and she hoped that it was honestly what he wanted._


	69. Memories Pt 2 (3)

_As Marcy won another game and the 2 motion sick Dragon Slayers crumbled to the floor, the train started slowing to a halfway stop where everyone could get off to stretch their bodies and buy food and such for the rest of the way._

 _"The 3 of us will go, as the rest of you seem busy…" Namine offered, beckoning Kurai and Takanashi along with her, leaving the others to sit and wait._

 _"Is it… over…?" Ethan asked, still on the ground with Akina at his side, looking ready to throw up on each other. Fate smiled sympathetically at them._

 _"Not yet, partner…" She sighed in reply. "We still have half of the ride left…"_

 _Ethan groaned, slumping against the floor with Akina right behind him._

* * *

 _Fate clenched her hands into fists, not believing what Zorina had to say. She narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but feel angry, even in the slightest._

 _"She was your classmate. She helped you before she did what she did and all you have to do is kill her?" Fate asked._

 _That's when Zorina raised the gun, not answering Fate's question. They heard the click of it cocking and her grin dropped as she took another look over the group, her eyes eventually landing on Fate. She was standing at the front and the gun was aimed straight at her, taking her back to how Jonah had died. It was exactly like that. Zorina was in Jackson's place right now._

 _Her finger curled around the trigger and her own eyes narrowed, almost as if she had switched with the Exceed in front of her._

 _"I don't like people who talk back. I have big plans and I know that you'll get in the way if I let you live."_

 _And then the trigger was pulled._

 _"No!" Ethan yelled._

 _In an act of desperation, he pushed past a couple of others before diving straight at Fate, getting out of the way at the last moment. As Ethan stood, Fate grasped at herself, searching for a bullet wound. When she didn't feel any pain, she knew that she had been spared the pain of feeling a bullet pierce her. A moment later, she watched as Zorina disappeared from sight, probably with teleportation magic, before Ethan stomped a foot on the ground in frustration._

 _"Mom!" Marcy cried as she launched herself at Fate, flying into her arms as she checked her Mother for injuries, obviously scared._

 _Fate held her tightly, shaking her head to tell her daughter that she was okay before getting up, pulling Marceline up with her. The little girl wouldn't let go, though. She was frozen in shock and Fate looked up, noticing that the others were as well._

 _"Ethan…" Akina gasped, hearing Takanashi starting to cry out of fear for her older brother._

 _Fate whipped around, her stomach instantly beginning to twist into knots as she landed her eyes on the sight in now in front of her. Ethan Hibiki stood before them; his head hung low and his arms dead at his sides. He swayed slightly on his feet and that was when Fate began to notice the puddle of blood forming on the ground from an injury he must have just suffered._

 _Then, Ethan looked up slowly and Fate couldn't stop herself from letting out a cry of pure horror and anguish and her partner opened his mouth to speak._

 _"Guys…?"_

* * *

 _ **Marcy was screaming**_ _._

 _Fate was frozen in place, her heart stopping in her chest as she stared over at Ethan. Blood was dripping profusely down his cheek and his right eye no longer rested in its socket. She could even see fragments of bone sticking out of his cheek and she had to cover her mouth to avoid losing her stomach. She watched as the blood slowly made its way down his chin, sliding down his neck where it began to soak into his shirt. Then, a moment later, his single eye closed and he collapsed to the ground without a sound._

 _"Ethan!" Fate screamed before she could stop herself._

* * *

 _Fate's hands were trembling a mile a minute and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. Dry heaving, she pulled away from the sight and before she could stop herself, she had emptied her stomach on the hardwood floor. No one could blame her and they most certainly wouldn't. Her head was pounding and her legs were trembling so profoundly that she knew she was only moments from collapsing herself._

 _She couldn't do this. She couldn't just sit there and watch Mira and Wendy save her partner's life when she knew that the woman who did this was out there. She was truly and genuinely trapped between a rock and a hard place. Ethan was counting on her to help save him but at this point, she felt like she was just going to end up causing more harm than good._

 _Fate let out a shaky sob and buried her face in her hands. Then, she heard a soft and calming voice in her ear._

 _"Fate…" Destiny whispered, placing one hand on her shoulder whilst using the other to pull her hands from her eyes, making her notice that Mira and Wendy had their eyes flicking from Ethan to her. It was as if they were waiting. "They need you. He needs you."_

 _All she could do was nod and then she was steadily leaning against Destiny as he helped her cross over to Ethan's head, where his face was so pale, it looked like the time he failed cooking one meal and instead, got flour everywhere. She looked up at Wendy, awaiting instructions._

 _"I can't use my Healing Magic while I'm concentrating. If we want him to have a steady chance, we'll need to use even the slightest bit of it. Would you mind using yours?" Wendy asked softly, making Fate pause before she nodded, reaching out her hands and starting to use her magic._

 _She couldn't look and she had to turn her head away as she focused on her magic. This was her partner. The one she had been with for all of those 14 painful years, plus some. He was the one person who didn't leave her, no matter how harsh that sounded. He was there for her the whole time and now, she needed to be there for him._

* * *

 _Allowing her eyes to scan over Ethan's body, Fate's face fell at the sight of his bruised face. There was no hope for the eye. The fragments of the bullet had caused too much damage. From now on, he would have to live with that brutal scar and for the rest of his life would he only be able to see through one eye. The boy was only 17 years old and he had already been shot, and in one of the most horrible places he could've been shot. It just wasn't fair._

* * *

 _The water was cold._

 _With her arms and legs tucked around her, Fate curled into a ball at the bottom of the bathtub in the infirmary. It was the only place she could hide. It was also the only place she could cry without showing someone that she was on the verge of losing her mind._

 _Fate was fully clothed in the tub, the water turning unearthly colors as it washed over her. Her fur, which was once a mixed gray, was now just a knotted, tangle of dark gray. The water slid off of her bracelet like it was nothing. It was nothing._

 _Ethan hadn't woken up._

 _A part of his face had been blasted away by the mere fragments of bullet and he was never going to be the same again. He would never be able to see through 2 eyes again. From now on, he would always be considered unlucky to survive such an injury. Still, she was thankful that he was alive. He had yet to wake up, but his stats were stable. He was surprisingly in better shape physically than many of them were mentally and emotionally._

 _The water from the shower had turned to ice a long time ago, but Fate didn't feel it. Her body was already numb. The only warmth she felt was from the tears that made their way down her face, gradually mixing in with the blood that washed down the drain from her hands._

 _She guessed it was safe to say that she had suffered her own relapse. Just last night she had felt so strong, having learned of all the things that had been going on while she was waiting for her partner to wake up, but now it was like her world was crashing down again and she couldn't find the strength to stand on her own 2 feet._

 _Her chest was being ripped apart by sobs and she felt like she could hardly breathe. With her knees to her chest, she laid her chin atop them and clenched her eyes shut as if that would stop the tears. It didn't. If anything, it made them worse because when she finally opened them again, it was like a dam was cracking open and the water was spraying forth once again._

 _Sometimes Fate just felt like letting her head slip under the water and forcing herself to suck it in. Just to let her lungs fill up with water to the point where she could no longer feel the burning and she just finally slipped away. It would be so simple. No one would realize that she was gone. They wouldn't hear her struggle as she fought with her brain over air because the shower was still going._

 _God, it would be so simple._

 _She just wasn't strong enough to do it. She was too cowardly. Hell, thinking of such an action was cowardly. She couldn't abandon the people out there in the Guild right now, even if she was sure that they'd get over her eventually. They might even be relieved to see her go. They would finally say that the tortured girl was at peace with all of her deceased friends and family members. She would be at peace with her good friend, Jonah Greene._

* * *

 _"Daddy…" Fate whimpered._

 _Perhaps all he needed was to hear his middle daughter's voice to know that she was still there because he rose back up to his feet, but instead of pulling her up like she had expected her to do, he merely crawled into the tub behind her and pulling her soaking body into his chest where she finally let go._

 _He held her tightly, trapping her arms at her sides and she sobbed into his chest. He stroked her wet fur softly and pressed his lips to her temple, but he never said a word because she didn't need to hear anything. She just needed to feel his arms around her. The same situation had happened once before when she was little, when she had just felt depressed and devoid of hope… but this time, she didn't even know if hope existed or if it was depression that she was feeling._

 _Tenshi rocked her back and forth until she finally stopped crying and all she did was stare mindlessly at the wall in front of her. In the quiet, she could hear the murmurs of discussion through the wall and she could only assume that half of the Guild had crammed their way into the infirmary once again, wondering about Ethan's well-being and possibly hers._

 _Suddenly, Tenshi's mouth was at her ear._

 _"You should go see him." He suggested. "Then, you should take an actual shower to clear the rest of your mind, and then we'll all come sit with you beside Ethan."_

 _Fate froze and her heart skipped a beat._

 _"I can't…" She murmured in response._

 _"Why?" He questioned._

 _"Because it's killing me… I'm afraid of what I'll see."_

 _"I think you'll be more scared if you don't see him. He's still asleep. We can all sit with him and wait for him to wake up, but you can't wait like you have been."_

 _"Everyone out there will see me…"_

 _"So?"_

 _"I'm a monster._

 _"So are they."_

* * *

 _"I miss you…" She mumbled. "I'm so sorry… You were never supposed to get hurt." She took a small breath. "Don't take this the wrong way because I'm still in love with Destiny and I always will be, but… I love you. And I don't remember the exact moment I fell in love with you. I just remember holding your hand one night and realizing how much it was going to hurt when I let go in the morning. But I don't want to let go because I need you. I need you more than you'll ever need me. But Ethan, if you love me… Don't let go. Please, don't let go."_

 _Slowly, Fate placed his hand back down on the bed and used her free hand to wipe away the tears spilling down her cheeks. Her shoulders were trembling and she had to bite down on her lip to prevent another sob from escaping. If only the boy in front of her know how much he meant to her…_

 _And perhaps he did._

 _The touch was as light as a feather, but it was there. The pressure was barely there, but it still made all the difference. Holding her breath, Fate allowed her gaze to stray towards Ethan's hand and her eyes widened at the sight of his fingers slowly curling around her hand. Slowly, his strength grew stronger and stronger to the point where he was in fact holding her hand._

 _Then, she heard the tiniest of breaths being released. Whipping her head to her right, her eyes landed on his face and very slowly, his single eyelid slid open and she was met with hazel again. His eye was clouded, but she knew that he saw her just as she saw him. Then, his lips were moving, slowly and inaudibly at first, but after several tries, 2 single words and a certain nickname left his lips and Fate froze_

 _"_ _ **I won't, Partner**_ _."_

 _Then, just as quickly, Ethan's eye dropped to a close again, but his hand never loosened its hold. With her bottom lip quivering, Fate had to convince herself that what she had just heard wasn't an imagination. Ethan had spoken to her He was still there, still fighting to hold on. He wasn't going to let go._

 _The thought brought Fate to tears and despite the joy it brought her, she still couldn't ignore the seed of pain burrowed in the pit of her stomach. Why couldn't the world just let them be? Why couldn't they just live? Why was every moment a constant fight? Why, why, why?_

 _She couldn't simply begin to fathom why or how she continued to breathe when the mere action of taking a single breath hurts more than any gunshot ever could._

* * *

 _"Hi." She greeted, looking between Tristan, Destiny and Fate. "I'm Janiyah Espenosa."_

 _Fate's eyes widened in surprise at the long name and tried to go over it in her head, but ultimately failed and didn't bother to try again. Suddenly, 2 doors opened on either end of the apartment. The first to enter was a group of others who had obviously sensed that something was wrong, but didn't know what from the confusion on their face. Then, another group of the others appeared from inside the apartment, having heard the cocking of the gun and Tristan's question, most likely._

 _"You can lower your gun, pretty boy." Janiyah teased Tristan, who went a little pink and refused to put his gun down without a proper explanation from her. "I just want to talk to you. Well… Your best friend…"_

 _When Janiyah made eye contact with Fate again, Fate couldn't help but shiver._

 _"Care for a chat, Ms. Konno?"_

* * *

 _"It's going to cost you something…"_

 _Including Janiyah, who just caught everyone's attention. Fate spoke before anyone else could._

 _"It always costs us something. Like it or not, this is war and you better bet on your life that we'll fight until we drop. God help us if we push ourselves or die. At least we get to die together." Fate stated._

 _"And if you die alone?" Janiyah asked. For some reason, a grin found its way only Fate's face and it grew into a smirk as she answered._

 _"I can't die. Not yet at least… I have to raise 3 children and I have to get back at the woman who took my partner's eye. Until then, I'll keep going even if it's on fumes."_

* * *

 _Destiny took a breath and nodded his head before slipping his hand into Fate's and interlacing their fingers._

 _"Are you sure about this?" He asked_

 _"No." Fate admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "But I know that we're the safest when we're together—regardless of where we find ourselves in the end."_

 _Destiny surprisingly cracked a small smile at that and reached up with his other hand to run his hand through Fate's fur. He let his hand rest at her cheek and she leaned into his touch, pressing her lips softly against his palm. Suddenly, a light sparked in his hazel green eyes and he smirked._

 _"Remember when I mentioned that I didn't sign up for you stubborn shit a week ago?" He asked. Fate cocked her head to the side slyly and nodded, remembering the conversation between them from a week before very vividly._

 _"What about it?" Fate shot back._

 _"I still haven't signed up." He informed her. Fate scoffed and rolled her eyes whilst he merely chuckled as she shoved him in the chest._

 _"For better or for worse, right?" Fate teased. And without waiting for a response, Fate turned to leave, but Destiny caught her waist and pulled her back to him, pressing his lips against her temple._

 _"I love you…" He whispered in her ear. He pressed a sloppy kiss to her neck and she laughed as she pulled free._

 _"You better." Fate called in return, not bothering to look back at the expression written on his face. "You're stuck raising 3 children with me."_

 _Destiny's chuckles only grew louder at that and Fate couldn't help but smile at the sound. Destiny's laugh was a beautiful sound that she savoured whenever she got the chance to hear it. Hopefully that wouldn't be the last time she heard it…_

* * *

 _Before Fate was born, or even long before her older brother, when her parents had gone outside Arrine's walls in hopes of finding her Aunt Casmyr, her Mother was apparently determined to rush into wherever she needed to with guns blazing. She hadn't even known what kind of threat she could have been walking into, but she had never been afraid. Then again, her actions had caused her to get a bullet grazed across her head, but if anything, that only made her stronger. Perhaps that was just it. She didn't want anyone else to risk getting shot in the head like her, or like Ethan was. The kid lost an eye for Heaven's sake._

 _Perhaps she didn't want them to fear death, but then again… No one wanted anyone to die._

 _Death was a dangerous thing. It could happen in as little as a second or as long as a few days. It can be painless and it can be painful. I can be on your own terms or it could be decided by someone else. Cancer, old age, illness, hit by a car, drowning, beaten to death, a gunshot, a knife, anything. There were a thousand ways to die and Fate wasn't afraid to admit that she feared each and every one of them._

 _But she didn't have to like it. She just had to accept it._

* * *

 _Fate yelped in pain, curling in on herself, and she could no longer feel her knife within its sheath and couldn't see it within her reach. In fact, the Exceed was the only thing she could see, smell and touch. He was everywhere, towering over her, a foot on her stomach so he could hold her to the ground. It was only then that she realized he had a gun in his hand and his finger around the trigger._

 _She immediately froze, staring into the eyes of death and she struggled to pull herself free. She kicked her legs up in desperate attempt to hit his knees, but that large man wouldn't budge. He was incredibly tall and she could feel the weight of his body crushing down on her ribs. She cried out again, gritting her teeth to avoid being heard by other enemies. The Exceed above her let out a chuckle._

 _"What're you doing, little girl?" He asked. "Were you and your friends actually trying to fight back?"_

 _Fate remained silent, staring up into his snakelike eyes._

 _"Well, you don't get to take our shit." The Exceed spat. "We work hard for this shit and because you think you can take it, which means you have to pay. Now, I don't like killing little girls, but I have to keep Xerum happy."_

 _He aimed the gun between the center of Fate's eyes, but before he could do anything else, an arm wrapped around the man's shoulder and a knife was dragged across his throat. The Exceed's eyes rolled back into his head and the blood began to drip down onto Fate. She frantically pulled herself away before his body could crush her and looked up to see that her rescuer was Tristan._

 _Only he wasn't staring back at her. He was glaring down at the Exceed with pure disgust and a bloody knife dangled from his hand. Blood also splattered his cheeks and fingertips, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest._

 _Fate stared at Tristan nervously, preparing for an outburst or some type of sign of distress over what he had just done, but he was deadly silent. He merely wiped the blood from the knife onto the dead man's shirt and crossed over to her. Holding out a hand, he lifted her up and allowed his eyes to skim over her._

 _"Are you hurt?" He demanded. Fate shook her head._

 _"I'm okay…" Fate replied. When Tristan wouldn't meet his gaze, she grabbed onto the edge of his shirt to keep him from pulling away. "Hey…" She let out in a whisper. "Are you okay?"_

 _Tristan nodded and turned away from his best friend as he spoke. His voice was so low and incredibly cold that it sent chills up and down Fate's spine._

 _"_ _ **Gotta be**_ _…"_

* * *

 _She watched as a man approached Destiny and drove the butt of their rifle into his stomach. He immediately dropped to his knees, groaning and grunting in pain as 2 men brutally began to beat him. Fate jerked and pulled against Larvy, tears streaming down her face as she felt herself begin to boil with anger._

 _"Let him go!" She screeched. "I'll kill you all! Let him go!"_

 _Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she watched as the man holding Sage pulled on her harshly and held her knife to her throat. Tristan instantly began to shove against Rick, but he couldn't do much with a gun pressed to his head._

 _"You leave her be!" Tristan growled protectively. "Listen, it was just me. It was just_ _ **me**_ _!"_

 _"Stop your squirming." He hissed in her face._

 _"Get off of me!" Fate screamed, fighting against the man on top of her._

 _Larvy suddenly managed to get a hold of both of her arms in one of his hands and then she felt his other free hand begin to travel its way down to her waistband. She felt his fingers fumble with the end of it and she instantly began to panic as she knew what was to come next. She kicked and brought her knees up, but none of it seemed to make any effect against Larvy._

 _"The more you move, the more it hurts!" Larvy spat, putting his face down right by hers. Suddenly, she felt her skirt become loose and Larvy laughed. "There we go. Lie still, now."_

 _Before she could even comprehend it, Larvy had flipped her over onto her stomach so her face was pressed into the hard concrete. One of his hands was pressed firmly in the center of her back while the other began pulling her skirt and leggings down even more. She struggled and squirmed, trying to pull herself free, but it was no use. Her head was spinning and she could no longer breathe. She could feel the blood seeping through her shirt and she let out a sob._

 _"Destiny!" Fate screamed into the open sky. There was no response at first, but when it finally came, it was hoarse and muffled._

 _"F-Fate…" Destiny coughed back in reply._

 _Just hearing his voice was enough relief to know that he was alive._

* * *

 _And that's when everything seemed to stand still. Fate watched as Tristan hauled his head back and then drove his face into Rick's neck, and she could hear the sickening crunch of Tristan ripping Rick's throat out with his teeth. Blood began to spray everywhere and all she could hear was the gurgling of Rick now choking on his own blood as he dropped to the ground in a heap._

* * *

 _While Larvy was stunned, Fate flung her arm out, her fingers wrapping around Tristan's pistol that had been cast aside and she brought it up to Larvy's skull, whacking him across the face with it._

 _Larvy immediately rolled off of her and he continued to groan, but she wasn't going to stop until he was dead. She gripped the pistol tightly in her hands, but instead of shooting him, she was going to watch him die slowly. She held the pistol up and began bringing it down as hard as she could against Larvy's face, blood slowly beginning to fly up and hit her own face. The sound of metal hitting flesh made her cringe, but the satisfaction of watching that man die slowly overcame it. Her entire body was trembling in anger and loud sobs were escaping her mouth, but she couldn't stop them. That man deserved to die for what he tried to do._

 _After several seconds of a harsh beating, Fate could barely recognize Larvy's face underneath all the blood and swollen bruises, and all she could hear were the faint gasps of breath. Finally, when she reached her level of gratitude, she turned the pistol around, placed the barrel between Larvy's eyes and pulled the trigger, silencing the Devil for good._

 _She sat on top of Larvy for a moment longer, trying to regain her breath as she let the bloody pistol slip from her hands._

* * *

 _Tristan pulled away, giving her a small smile before showing her his recently hidden arm, making her eyes widen upon realizing the dark black roots, even darker than his fur, wrapping around his arm were the same ones that Ethan had wrapped around his legs back in Erith. Fate shook her head, collapsing against Tristan as she started to sob for the 100th time since the war had started. There were 2 options to this solution that could be done in time. Tristan could become a Hebi… or he could die._

 _And the only ones capable of killing him before he turned were Fate and himself._

 _"No, no, no, no, please…" Fate begged, digging her face into his the crook of his neck as his arms wrapped around her. It could only be spread from Hebi to person, not from person to person, so they could hold each other… but it's not like it made anything better._

 _"Fate—"_

 _"I won't do it." She cut him off. "And I won't let you do it. You can't die. Peter and Sage need you. Kurai needs you. I need you."_

 _"Please, don't…" Tristan pleaded, making her angrier._

 _"Don't what, Tristan? Don't be honest?" She asked, tears streaming down her face as she pulled away from him. She held his shoulders firmly and his grip on her hips was strong despite him growing weaker during the slow turning process. He shook his head._

 _"Not that…" He replied softly. "I meant don't let me turn into one of those monsters…"_

 _"But I don't want you to die!"_

 _"It's doesn't matter what you want! There's no escaping it!"_

 _Fate shook her head, resting her head against Tristan's as her body slumped against his in his lap. He removed a hand from her hip to grab his gun, removing it from his waistband and holding it out to her, making her shake her head more as she continued to cry. He used his other hand to hold one of her hands, placing it on the gun and forcing her to take it. Her sapphire blue eyes peered into his dark brown ones and he gave her a small smile, nodding his head a little bit as his arms wrapped back around her._

 _"I'd rather the girl I love with all of my heart to kill me, than to die at my own hands…"_

 _Fate's breath nearly hitched and Tristan tilted his forehead down to rest against hers and pulled her closer to him. His body was warm against her own and she shivered. Slowly, she closed her eyes and she breathed in the scent of wood and the fresh smell of grass. She loved it even if it wasn't as strong as the sweat and blood soaking it. They were so close; the tips of their noses were nearly touching. Tristan's hand rose to caress Fate's cheek and she swallowed, evident of the tears filling her eyes once again._

 _She didn't try to move away._

 _And then Tristan's lips were on hers. They were so warm and soft against hers. She couldn't stop her heart from pounding in her chest and her blood flowed rapidly in her cheeks, making her face as pink as ever. He was gentle, his other hand moving to her other cheek, holding her face to his. She started to sob in the middle of it, breaking them apart and causing him to apologize, but she didn't care. If Destiny was there, he would've understood why her lips weren't connecting with his instead._

 _"I love you and nothing can change that… Even if I couldn't be with you, I wanted to protect you… and I got to." Tristan said, tears starting to stream down his own face. Fate swallowed, allowing their lips to brush across each other as she tried to control her emotions, only to fail every time she tried._

 _"I love you, too…" She whispered softly. "Maybe not in the way you want me to… but I do love you…"_

 _Tristan smiled, nodding a little bit. That was enough for him, but Fate couldn't bring herself to raise his gun, so Tristan wrapped his hands around hers, holding the gun with her._

 _"You're a survivor, Fate…" He stated softly, confusing her a little bit. "No matter how much it seems like you're going to drown, there will always be an island somewhere. I just know it… You and Destiny will have a life together with those 3 little kids, and maybe even your own someday. You'll overcome every obstacle in the road ahead of you together, because your 2 separate roads have become one for you both to travel hand in hand. There'll be times in which yo have to go down separate roads again before coming back together, but don't you dare give up on those little paths… Okay?"_

 _Fate was crying, wanting to shake her head again… but she didn't have the strength to do so._

 _"I don't want to say goodbye…" She sobbed._

 _"I know, but you have to…" He said, whimpering a little in between his words. "This is where my story ends and where my part in your story ends... Your story is still going, so you have to make the best out of it... For me and the others…"_

 _Fate nodded ever so slightly, leaning all of her weight against her dying best friend as he held her as tightly as he could, each of them breathing in the other's scent before it would disappear forever._

 _"Take care of everyone for me, okay? Especially Peter, Sage and Kurai… Live your life to the fullest on my behalf… And take care of both my jacket and my gun…" Tristan cracked the small joke, making Fate sob out a small laugh as he did the same._

 _Fate's dominant rose, holding Tristan's gun to his head. They stared intently in each other's eyes and they both smiled softly, unable to do anything else in that moment._

 _"I love you, Fate…"  
"I love you, too, Tristan…"_

 _And then the trigger was pulled._


	70. Memories Pt 3 (3)

_Fate found herself staring in the window across the street and she couldn't recognize the Exceed in front of her. That girl in front of her had stringy-looking gray fur, dull sapphire blue eyes that no longer sparkled, and she was stained with blood on every inch of her body. Tears were forming in the girl's eyes and her cheeks were stained from past tears that had escaped their prison. Suddenly, her lips opened wide and produced a sound that could only be a scream of agony. She continued to scream, her shoulders were hunched and shaking and tears poured from her eyes, slipping down her cheeks._

 _Oh, that poor girl. Fate wanted to help her. She wanted to put her down and end her misery. She shouldn't stand to live through that much pain. She couldn't stand it. It wasn't humane. Fate reached out to touch the window and only then did she realize something._

 _That poor, screaming girl trapped in the window was none other than herself._

* * *

 _"Calm down." Fate ordered, reaching out a hand and placing it against his scarred cheek. "None of this is your fault… And even though I think otherwise, I know that it's neither of our faults. It's easy to forget the dangers that this world holds. We're going to get through this, though."_

 _Destiny nodded, reaching up to hold her hand against his scarred cheek with his own, placing his forehead against hers gently. Fate was waiting for him to ask about Tristan, but he stayed silent. Maybe he could guess because she had his gun with her… or maybe he just didn't want to accept the death of a friend. She didn't want to either, so it was understandable._

 _Fate remained silent with her eyes closed for a couple of minutes before she sighed a bit, feeling Destiny's eyes resting on her as they had been since she had stopped talking. She opened her eyes to make instant contact with his, noticing that Destiny was smiling a little bit._

 _"Why do you stare at me all the time?" Fate asked slowly and softly. Destiny sighed._

 _"I like watching your expressions." He answered and Fate was surprised that he didn't give an excuse. "You don't react typically like everyone else. You're different."_

 _"Is that a bad thing?" She asked. Destiny shook his head._

 _"I haven't decided yet." He replied with a small smirk._

 _Fate could feel Destiny's breathing on her cheek as she realized that he hadn't backed away and before she could comprehend it, his lips were being pressed to hers. His arms wound around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to take in the feeling so that she could remember it later. Destiny's lips were warm against hers and it made her shiver as the cold air around them tried to interfere. She felt him grin as she pulled back, curling up against him as she shivered again._

* * *

 _Fate instantly put her gun back into its spot in her waistband and pulled Destiny's limp arm around her neck. She then wrapped her other arm tightly around his waist and he was surprised when she managed to pull him to his feet, especially while she was still injured as well. Although she seemed to have no problem supporting his full weight, Destiny could tell that she was struggling due to their height differences._

 _"We… We need—"_

 _"Shh…" Fate ordered, cutting him off. "We're going to get out of here."_

 _They started to walk soon after. Fate was basically dragging Destiny forward while he tried his best not to be a liability, pulling him forward through the dead streets of Magnolia. Their eyes constantly landed on several Hebi's that were too busy feasting on all the dead bodies to even notice them. Destiny looked around weakly, his eyes continuing to droop as he fought valiantly against the great urge to fall asleep against Fate right then and there._

 _"Come on, Destiny… Stay awake…" Fate ushered softly in his ear, her arm wrapped tightly around his waist. It was tighter than before and he wondered if it was because she was afraid or if it was because her grip had been slipping. Had it been?_

 _He knew that he and Fate were struggling to keep a steady pace due to their injuries and they were both basically dragging each other forward, their arms wrapped around one another, their hips pressed together to keep the weight between them level because they both had bad legs now. Blood was still dripping out of his side and his entire shirt was stiff with sweat and blood, but he wouldn't risk stopping to address to it. Not in the middle of the street._

 _"I'm trying…" Destiny mumbled back to her drowsily. He leaned his head softly on Fate's shoulder as they continued walking and he kept his lip between his teeth to keep from crying out in pain with each step that he shakily took._

 _"We're going to be okay." Fate said softly._

 _"What?" Destiny asked hoarsely. He swallowed, his throat congested with blood._

 _"We're going to be okay…" Fate repeated with a more stable, soft tone. "That's usually what everyone tells me, so I'm saying it to you now. I can't promise it because I don't want to break a promise, but I don't care if it comes to be a lie. At least I'm trying to be honest. So, we're going to be okay, alright?"_

 _Destiny was silent for a moment before he let out a shaky breath, nodding a little bit._

 _"Yah… Alright…"_

* * *

 _"So, is your eye doing okay?" Destiny asked, the realization of what he might've been mumbling in his sleep settling in his mind._

 _Although he changed the subject, he could feel his cheeks burning bright pink just as Fate's still were. Ethan chuckled at the question and the pinkness of the Exceed couples' faces before reaching up to the white gauze that wrapped around his head, carefully pulling it off so the both of them could come face-to-face with the new face of Ethan._

 _His eye was healing, they had to admit, but it was far from full recovery. A part of Fate would probably never grow accustomed to seeing Ethan with only one eye. She could still see bits of bone and places that his skin hadn't grown over yet. Thankfully, it hadn't bled in awhile and that had to be a good sign. The surrounding area of the socket, as Destiny had suspected, was still swollen and Ethan himself was hesitant to touch it._

 _"Do I look like something out of a Horror movie yet?" He asked softly, trying to lighten the mood with his little joke before he slipped the white gauze back over his head, leaning back against the headboard of the infirmary bed once again. "It's weird, but I feel full of energy again. So… that's good."_

 _"It's great." Fate corrected with a small smile, making Ethan smile back at his partner._

* * *

 _"Why are you staring at me?" She questioned, finally breaking the silence._

 _"I like watching your expressions…" He replied. That same conversation took her back to about not even an hour before they ended up in the Guild's infirmary with Destiny injured fairly badly._

 _"You shouldn't… You won't like the expression I'll have when I truly break from the reality that is this world." Fate stated softly._

 _"I'll be the judge of that if it ever happens." Destiny stated back, his tone also soft._

 _Fate nodded a little bit, feeling one of Destiny's hands running along her arm. He pulled her into him, trapping her against chest before bending down, prepared to press his lips to hers, but she turned her head at the last second, causing his lips to merely graze her cheek and ear. He sighed in annoyance while she simply giggled, only for Destiny to grip her chin in his fingers, holding her still so he could finally kiss her._

 _His lips were still warm against her own regardless of him being shot twice and Fate couldn't help but smile playfully against the kiss. Destiny slowly let his hands drop from her face and back to her waist as Fate wrapped her own arms around his neck. She let her fingers knot in his fur as she held him close, dreading the moment she would have to let go. Unfortunately, that moment arrived much faster than she anticipated as she pulled back, allowing her forehead to rest against his for a moment longer._

 _"I love you…" Fate whispered._

 _"I love you, too…" He replied with a small smile._

 _Suddenly, Ethan cleared his throat awkwardly, making them both jump before pulling away from each other out of embarrassment, making Ethan laugh at them, only to earn a small glare from his partner._

 _"It's like a damn Romance novel." He joked, making them both go an even darker pink than they had been._

 _"Don't be mean." Fate stated, making her partner chuckle more._

* * *

 _Fate remained silent long after Nate stopped talking. They just stood there, under the dim morning light, staring at the small white flower. She took a deep breath and then looked up at Nate._

 _"Did you love her…?" Fate whispered, making Nate stiffen a little bit beside her._

 _"Well… she loved all of us…" Nate replied, making Fate shake her head._

 _"Nate, I'm more observant than you think." She said with a bit of a teasing tone. "I saw the way you were around Tanner. She made you happy. You're also taking her death much harder than the rest of us, and don't you dare blame that fact on how she never truly got to open up to us." She paused. "So… Did you love her?"_

 _"… Yah… Yah, I did." Nate replied, his voice breaking up. "I cared about her a lot and she never deserved to die. I'm going to miss her."_

 _"Me, too…"_

 _Fate wished that no one had died so that Nate and Olivia could be happy. She wanted to be happy, too, but if she could trade one life for 2… She knew that Tristan would gladly take that sacrifice. After everything the older Exceeds had been through, they should be happy. It wasn't fair for them._

 _Fate knew that Olivia had lost her family, Jonah, and nearly many others that she scared about. Although she didn't know Nate that well, she at least knew that this wasn't what he deserved. For once, they both should've been happy, knowing that there was someone other than the rest of them in the Guild who would be there for them, but now those people were gone._

* * *

 _"Lower your guns!" He screamed. "Drop all of your weapons onto the ground or she gets a bullet in the brain!"_

 _Ruri watched as everyone removed all of their weapons, except for Fate, who continued to stare. Ruri nodded to her and Fate seemed to swallow uncomfortably before she dropped her weapons, seeming very reluctant to leave them. Caleb, however, looked her up and down._

 _"All of them…" He hissed._

 _Fate rolled her eyes as she reached into her flannel shirt, pulling another knife out of a hidden pocket. Then, she reached to the waistband of her leggings that was hidden by the waistband of her skirt and pulled out another knife, dropping it rather harshly before reaching into her jacket pockets, throwing down 2 more._

 _Everyone stared at her in shock because if she was wearing shoes, she would probably have more than just those ones._

* * *

 _He turned to Fate first._

 _"You ready?" He asked, standing up slowly._

 _With no other answer to give, Fate merely nodded and held her arms up so that Rory could cover every last bit of her with blood. Wanting to close his eyes, he brought his hand to her stomach first and spent the next 10 minutes slathering every piece of her fabric and fur with blood until he was sure she had gained another 5 pounds in just that stuff alone._

* * *

 _ **/"This is a story people are going to tell."/**_


	71. Too Far

Fate let out a pain-filled screams as some of her ribs broke between Lucifera and the ground, bruises already starting to form… but this was nothing.

Not when Jonah Greene was dead.  
Not when James Owen was dead.  
Not when Aubree Tanner was dead.  
 _ **Not when Tristan Keynes was dead.**_

Not when they were dead because of Lucifera. Her Seekers, her Hebi's _**and her fault**_ …

Fate didn't know what came over her, but the moment what was supposed to be the final attack came, she got to her feet and she blocked it. Her legs wobbled and her entire body shook almost violently, but she could rest later. Everyone else had gone down with a fight… So she stood.

"'You don't know how to quit, do you?" Lucifera asked, nearly making Fate growl.

" _ **I**_ don't know how to quit…?" Fate asked softly. If she used her full voice, she would've probably scared some of the others. "You've indirectly killed 4 people and you intend on killing a Mother, Daughter and Sister in front of said relatives, so please repeat that for me… _**I**_ _ **don't know**_ _ **how**_ _ **to**_ _ **quit**_?"

Lucifera seemed to pause for a moment and Fate chuckled, keeping her gaze on the Angel of Darkness. She kept a straight face, but Fate could see the battle she was having on the inside through her eyes. Eyes were mirrors into the soul. She learned that a long time ago.

"You should stay down before you get killed." Lucifera told her. A scoff got caught in Fate's throat as her gaze found the ground before going back up to land on Lucifera.

"I'll die either way, so I might as well fight in my last moments, wouldn't you agree?"

Lucifera's hand flinched. It was probably either going to end in a slap, punch or a summoning of her Magic, but instead, here eyes closed for a mere second. When she finished the thought she was probably thinking, her hand rose… and she snapped her fingers.

Straight from behind, Callias grabbed Fate and held a gun to her head, but she barely reacted. She side-glanced back at him for a mere second before looking forward at Lucifera again, both of her hands reaching up and grabbing Callias' arm.

"You should really fight your own battles and learn to be more independent…" Fate told Lucifera, who kept a straight face although her features momentarily shifted from neutral to confusion.

"Why is that…?" Lucifera asked, seeming slightly cautious. She should've been more cautious.

Callias gripped the gun tightly and his finger curled around the trigger. Then, it suddenly swung forward, the barrel pointed straight at Lucifera before Callias' hand tightened around the gun again, his finger pulling the trigger back and releasing the bullet.

It was a free bullet until it hit Lucifera directly in her stomach, causing her to cry out for a mere second. Everyone gasped slightly the moment the bullet made contact, but no other guns were raised. No other sounds were made. It was like time had frozen.

But Fate's blood ran cold and her heart stopped the moment Lucifera started to laugh. One of Callias' hands remained on Fate's left shoulder as he stood up straight on her right, his gun dropping slowly. She knew that he had meant to at least his Lucifera's chest or throat, but he unfortunately didn't.

"Y-You think I didn't know that Callias would betray me?!" Lucifera demanded, standing up straight. She didn't even care that she was bleeding out. "You were _**best friends**_ … Nothing ever truly leaves when it comes to a best friend, wouldn't you agree…?"

She was mocking Fate and the Exceed knew it. She was still angry, but she was mostly just shocked. Jonah _**died**_ with a bullet in his stomach… but Lucifera was _**continuing on like it was normal**_. It kind of hurt if Fate was going to be honest.

 _ **It wasn't fair**_.

Lucifera took a step forward and Fate flinched, knowing that she was going to attack the both of them, but the moment her eyes closed and a moment passed… nothing had happened. She opened them again and noticed that Lucifera was struggling to pick up her other foot… and it was all because Abygale was holding it in place with her strength and Magic.

"Damn you… Let me go!" Lucifera ordered, gaining a shake of the head from Abygale.

"I won't!" The little girl yelled, making Lucifera growl at her.

She continued to try and lift her foot even just a little bit, but she couldn't. So, she balanced on it and raised her other foot, not hesitating to bring it straight down. Fate opened her mouth, but all of her air got caught in her throat as Lucifera's foot made contact with Abygale's head, causing her grip to falter.

With a couple more hits, Abygale couldn't hold on any longer due to the pain and her hands slipped, causing her to crash to the ground. Lucifera didn't stop there though, oh no. She brought that foot that Abygale was holding back and kicked the little girl across the half circle. While she was airborne, Fate rushed forward and the moment Abygale fell, Fate caught her in her arms.

"Hey, hey…" Fate whispered, listening as Abygale coughed and sobbed. Lucifera had gone too far. "You're okay… I'm right here, Abygale…"

A moment passed before Abygale spoke and what she said made Fate feel as if her heart had shattered into a million pieces.

" _It hurts, Mommy_ …" Abygale sobbed. Tears filled Fate's eyes as she tried not to sob, but was failing horribly.

"I know, I know it does, sweetheart… It won't hurt forever though…" Fate promised softly, gaining a nod from the small Exceed who had become her eldest child. They weren't related by blood, but barely anyone in Fairy Tail was… and _**that was okay**_.

As soon as Abygale stopped crying, Fate found whatever strength she had left to get to her feet with the little girl in her arms. With her face buried in lilac fur, Fate found herself in front of Janiyah, who happened to be the closest, and slightly held Abygale out.

"Would you take care of my little girl for me?" Fate asked softly. Janiyah's eyes widened, not expecting that question to be asked to her, but she nodded and held out her arms so Abygale could be passed into them. "Thank you."

And with that, Fate was facing Lucifera again, but she was more determined this time.

Even if Jonah wasn't there to smile softly and reassure her…  
Even if James wasn't there to yell at her and be relieved when she was as good as she could be…  
Even if Tanner wasn't there to judge her silently and then grin afterwards…  
Even if _**Tristan**_ wasn't there to call her an idiot, then apologize, and then be more than relieved after she would act so stupid…

She had to stand and she had to fight against the woman in front of her. She caused too much pain for everyone. It wasn't fair for them and it wasn't fair for her.

Akina had been separated from Namine.  
Destiny and Cass lost their family, and Fate thought she had lost hers.  
Cass and Olivia had spent years as prisoners alongside others, such as Tanner and for a short time, Nate as well.  
Jered, Callias and Janiyah had to spend their lives being controlled.  
Fate had to go through horrible things.  
Ethan had lost his eye.  
Ellena was in a coma.  
Jonah, James, Tanner and Tristan were dead.

 _ **It was too far.**_


	72. Faded

Fate's head collided with the cold dirt ground and she smirked upon listening to Lucifera stumble before she fell as well. Most of her injuries now felt just like scratches and bruises and she could live with that pain after everything that had happened to her.

Fate suddenly noticed a couple of Exceed Seekers running forward, probably on Lucifera's command, and she sprung her. Callias yelled to her and she spun around, lifting her hand to catch her knife because she had heard his brief "Head's up", and then spun back around.

It didn't matter who was watching anymore. They had all done things and would have to do things. All that mattered right now was surviving.

She raised her knife and dove straight at the first Exceed, shoving the wooden stake in his throat and she watched him drop before the next one came running forward, trying to halt as he slid across the ground. He must've realized his mistake, but he was a bit too late. Fate grabbed him and shoved him up against the RV, driving the stake into his chest before finishing him off by stabbing him in the throat.

She could see the fresh blood standing out against the dried Hebi blood, but that didn't exactly matter right now as she turned back to Lucifera, who growled at how easily her Seekers were taken down. However, that pair wasn't the end as she sent in a Human man instead, to which Fate slightly faltered in her actions.

That was before the ground rose up underneath him, sending him flying into the air, and Fate grinned. She didn't have to look to know who it was. Fate shoved her knife into her back pocket as Tristan's gun was tossed to her, lining up her shot fairly quickly and pulling the trigger, shooting straight between the man's eyes just before he hit the ground.

Fate put the gun away as well, waiting for the next move before deciding which weapon she would use… if she would use one. Then, just after a moment passed, Lucifera casted a spell and Fate wasn't sure of her surroundings except that she bashed straight into Callias, but that wasn't the worst pain that she felt.

She let out a cry of pain, her hand ripping from its spot and instantly grabbing at her right side. Blood, warm and hot, was gushing from her side where there was no longer a bandage. It was an injury that was worse than the multiple times she had gotten hurt and when her C-Section wounds would reopen. It was more than just intense and it didn't burn because it was more than that, too.

Both of her hands were clenched into fists, pushing against the wound and trying to keep pressure… before she realized that it wasn't just a wound on or in her side. _**Her side was literally gone**_. Tears were leaking down her cheeks as she frantically tried to stop the bleeding by it just kept coming. There was no stopping it.

Then, everything stopped and she heard a sigh of relief, knowing that it had come from Callias.

"We're okay…" He breathed. Fate bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming.

"Not okay…!" She gasped out, feeling her body trying to regenerate, but it was going very slowly.

The breath escaped Callias' lips as he instantly shoved himself up from the ground a foot or so away from her and rushed to her side. He stumbled slightly, still in a daze from the collision, but he managed to make it. Blood was dripping from a cut on his forehead and his eyes were wide as he stared at the wound. They would've been wider if it wasn't healing over so even if it felt slow, her body was doing its job. Thank God for being part Vampire.

"You're okay…" Callias whispered, but Fate wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure: Her or himself?

He quickly lifted her up half off of the ground, listening to her whimper involuntarily, before helping her with removing Tristan's jacket so they could tie it to the wound when she finished regenerating. Trying to calm her breathing, Fate noticed movement over Callias' shoulder and watched as Lucifera approached them. Swallowing slowly, Fate took a much needed breath.

"Go…" She murmured. When Callias didn't respond, she tried again. "Callias, plea—"

"No…" He cut off harshly. "'I don't care what happens to me. I consider this a judgment, you hear…?"

"You can't just carry me into battle, Callias… You don't have a choice…" Fate stated. He pursed his lips and shook his head.

"I'm not gonna carry you…" Callias sighed before he reached over her and wrapped Tristan's jacket around her waist, tying it tightly to her waist and making her hiss. He then grabbed her arm and put it around his neck. "We're gonna walk. We're gonna do this together. You have to do this, Fate. I know you can. You're a fighter. Come on."

Fate closed her eyes, trying to find the inner strength to get to her feet. She had been hurt worse before and managed to walk away. She had to do this. She wasn't doing this just for Callias or herself. She was doing it for the people watching and the people who didn't get the chance to watch, but still were. She knew they were.

It wasn't her time to go yet. She couldn't go out like this. She had to keep fighting.

Sucking in a very deep breath, Fate swung her feet out and let them press against the ground with Callias' support. Once she was upright, Callias adjusted his hands to where one was holding hers that was draped over his shoulders and the other was wrapped tightly around her waist, his hand pressed over hers as they tried to stop the bleeding that continued as she tried to regenerate, but could barely do so properly.

Then, ever so slowly, they began to walk with each of them holding the other up through their injuries as they focused on getting out of there alive. Fate's side burned under the touch of her and Callias' bloody, red hands, but she ignored it the best she could as they continued, stumbling over each other constantly.

Eventually, they stopped in the middle, staring down Lucifera.

"Any last words…?" Lucifera asked, making both of them scoff, although Fate winced soon after.

"Well, what do you want to hear…?" Callias asked. "A simple ' _Go to Hell_ ' or perhaps a ' _You won't get away with this_ ', just to reply that you already have just like in the movies?"

" _ **See you in Hell**_ …" Fate chuckled with a wince, hearing a small chuckle from Callias before Lucifera brought her foot back, kicking them both onto a ground.

They both cried out, gripping at their wounds and each other as Callias tried to shield Fate's side. She merely closed her eyes, thinking of why Lucifera landed on her in the first place. Perhaps it was because she had promised too many people that everything would be okay or maybe because she had finally gotten her way with not wanting anyone else to die.

Her thoughts went to Destiny, who was probably screaming at the top of her lungs, but she just couldn't hear him through everyone else… and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

 _"Do you think it was right of us to take her in?" Fate suddenly questioned through the darkness of the room, gaining Destiny's attention._

 _"What're you talking about?" He asked._

 _"I mean, how do you think Abygale feels about that? Does she think… that when we leave her, that we've abandoned her? I don't want her to feel like that_ _ **ever**_ _. She's only a little girl and we promised that we would take care of her and we can't even do that."_

 _"We're doing the best we can…"_

 _Fate shook her head._

 _"It's not enough…" She whispered. "I'm trying so hard to keep everything together, but I can't do it anymore. I still… I still haven't even had the proper chance to grieve over Jonah or my even_ _ **my hometown**_ _. Everything I cared about and had hope of living for is… gone."_

 _"Fate—"_

 _Fate wiped away the tears that were trying to fall down her cheeks as she held back her sobs._

 _"I don't say it just to say it…" Fate murmured. "If you died out there, you wouldn't have known how I felt, how I've always felt even when I'm slightly unsure, and how I will_ _ **always**_ _feel. I was s-so scared because I didn't want you to die.  
If I had to ch-choose between loving you and breathing… I would, without a single goddamn doubt, use my last breath to say '_ _ **I love you**_ _'.  
I just… I need you to know that I say it because you deserve to know, not so I can hear it back… Although my heart melts every time I hear you say it, you have the right to know…"_

 _Destiny pulled her to his chest in an embrace and let her cry as he held her tightly. It seemed like he would never have to let go, even if she did stop crying. He didn't want to._

 _"It's okay… I feel exactly the same way that you do, I promise…"_

* * *

Fate let out a hiss of pain, squeezing her side as she got up with barely any of Callias' help because he wasn't aware that she was trying to get up for a moment. Fate could feel the blood seeping through her tank top and Destiny's flannel that had become hers all the way back on Tenroujima.

She took deep breaths and remained in control of everything, trying to think of a spell that would give her a chance. She felt like her right side had been shattered and the wind didn't help, but it felt nice and cold on her face. Gravity was sinking in and Fate felt like just smacking hard onto the ground and letting everything end, but she didn't get to do that. She wasn't allowed to.

"We're going home." Fate stated, looking up at Lucifera, who stared down at her with cold eyes.

Then, within one single second, everyone gasped as Lucifera changed form. She was no longer a Human, but was an Exceed. It didn't surprise Fate.

Lucifera walked straight up to her, but was still looking down since Fate was smaller. Dark brown and sapphire blue peered into each other as the only sounds were that of breathing and hearts pounding.

"Not all of you." Lucifera stated back, but Fate didn't flinch or back down.

She only froze, her blood going cold as the last straw had officially been pulled. Lucifera had a smug smirk on her face and Fate could feel multiple pairs of eyes on her, but she didn't really care at that point. That was where she needed to be.

It honestly hurt Fate to talk as she stared at the Angel of Darkness with such hatred. She had never, _**ever**_ hated someone so much within such a short time. From the moment she was mentioned, Fate thought that she was scared and at points, she was. But now that her eyes were staring intently into hers and vice versa, she knew that there would be no getting along. There was only one way to go.

" _ **Who the Hell do you think you are**_ …?"' Fate demanded, her tone taut yet harsh and a bit forced, but it made an impact as Lucifera took a seemingly deep breath.

The blood roared in Fate's veins and she could see her reflection in Lucifera's cold eyes. There was no mistaking that it was herself that she saw and it didn't scare her anymore.

This was who she was and it was who she was always going to be.

Letting her hand slide and grab the hilt of her knife, she had made a decision. Gripping the cold leather, Fate didn't hesitate to raise her hand and shove the even colder metal into Lucifera's shoulder. She heard multiple gasps, but Fate was focused on Lucifera as her eyes turned to shock at the realization that she had been stabbed.

Fate had stabbed her and there was no regret, with her heart pounding fiercely and her lips grinning in delight. Lucifera reached for her gun and Fate reached for Tristan's gun, her grin barely dropping as she wrapped her finger around the trigger and pulled it.

In that moment, she felt infinite…

 _ **That was before it all faded to black**_.

* * *

 **A/N: Um, yah... The next chapter will be relieving for ya'll, I promise.**


	73. Gone: I Know

**A/N: Read to the** _ **very end**_ **to be relieved of what happened and what's going to happen. There will be another chapter after this and then… Well, Stay is over.**

 _ **BUT**_ **there will be a 3** **rd** **book because duh! It's going to be called 'No Regrets' so stay tuned for that one after this one ends.** **I promise** **that you will be satisfied unless you have some sort of hatred, but… Yah, so…**

* * *

Several things happened in the matter of 5 seconds.

First, there were 2 loud gunshots that echoed through the empty air, causing Lucifera's head to whip backwards and Fate's head to whip to the left as if they had whiplash, the bandage that had been wrapped around Fate's head falling to the ground ever so slowly.

Next, blood was splattering the ground and since Callias had been standing so close, he felt the warm blood splatter onto his face. It was like his heart had stopped. His ears were ringing and everyone was frozen as time seemed to stand still. Everyone's eyes went wide, tears immediately filling them and suddenly, one one could see a thing. All they saw was red.

Then, Lucifera and Fate fell to the ground. Lucifera's black fur and Fate's gray fur were now streaked with red, Fate more than before when she had the blood of others splattered on her and Hebi blood covering her.

Finally, screams of agony rung out and loud sobs filled the area as everyone realized something.

Lucifera and Fate were not moving.

Destiny stared down at Fate's body, unable to comprehend anything other than the fact that his closest friend and lover had just been _**killed**_. His heart was pounding in his chest and his eyes were filling with tears as he felt the arms of the Seeker behind him give out due to the shock. Each and every one of them was shocked.

Suddenly, he began to hear a loud wailing sound that reminded him of a siren, perhaps. It was slowly turning into a screech and it was splitting his eardrums. He then noticed that it was a scream or even a shriek of sorts before realizing something.

It was him.

" _ **Fate, no**_!" He shrieked, unaware that the nearly high-pitched sound he was making was even possible.

He rushed forward, no one stopping him because the Seekers had lost their probable life-long dream right in front of them. He couldn't even think of how he was moving, he just was. Another sobbed ripped right through him as he fell to his knees beside the girl he loved, pulling her into his arms.

Her head rested on his shoulder and he tried to ignore the fact that her warm blood was dripping onto his shoulder, down his back and down his chest. He brushed his hand through her soft gray fur that was sticky with blood and slightly stringy as he stared at her closed, pale eyelids.

He would never get to see her bright, welcoming sapphire blue eyes or her smile again and he let out more sobs as he held her tightly, ignoring that guns were finally starting to be raised around them, but bullets had yet to fly. Then, just as quickly, they dropped and people started to run.

No one stopped them.

Abygale was sobbing. They were ear piercing shrieks and the wetness of her tears reflected off the light around all of them. Her hands were pressed into the ground as Janiyah tried to keep her composure, not wanting to believe that sight in front of them.

Ruri was crying, biting on her lip to prevent her sobs from being heard and Rory looked as if he was going to be sick as tears streamed down his cheeks. _**It wasn't fair**_.

Tenshi had already buried his face in his hands and Akuma was next to drop down beside him. She had already begun to scream and had bursted into tears long ago, unable to keep herself from it because her middle daughter had just been murdered.

" _ **Mommy**_!" A small voice shrieked as Marcy sprinted forward, only to be held back by Micah who was crying just as much as she was. They tumbled to the ground as Marcy's small cries pierced the sky as they both suffered the same pain as the others around them.

A figure suddenly dropped down to the ground beside Nate, unable to make it any further, as he breathed heavily, unable to understand how this had happened. Olivia was on her knees with Cass' arms wrapped around her waist from behind as she sobbed, unable to scream any longer than she had been.

A scene played in said girl's head as she remembered the conversation she had gone through with the boy beside her.

* * *

 _"Wait, you're cousins?" Nate asked curiously. Olivia nodded ever so slowly._

 _"Yah, but she doesn't know. Only I do because my Grandfather told me before he died and gave the Key of Crimson to me. He and Jade, Fate's Grandmother, um… They her parents and my parents… well, parents, and they separated and wiped their kids' memories of the other." Olivia explained._

 _"Wow… Everything is confusing these days…"_

 _"I know right? There's just the Edeline's and the Konno's… but in reality, we all have Edeline and Konno blood in us. So yah… Fate's my cousin."_

* * *

Ethan was next to fall and he curled up into a ball of agony, sobbing as he cried from his one eye. It hurt to have so much pressure built up, but to only be able to express all but a quarter of it. He could sob and he could cry, but tears would only rush out of his left eye because his right no longer existed. He felt as if he should've been able to… but he couldn't.

Destiny buried his face in Fate's neck as he rocked back and forth, pleading silently for Fate to come back. He continued and continued to beg, but there was no response. Fate's eyes were still closed and she was still cold. Her mouth was slightly ajar as if she wanted to say something, but she no longer could. Her limbs were limp and there was no rise and fall of her chest. Destiny scooped the small, fragile girl up further into his arms and the sudden movement ended with Fate's hand to swing back, slowly falling and, sooner than later, hitting the hard dirt ground.

Unable to look at the horrifying scene, Callias fell to his knees and put his head to the ground, to rocks digging into his cheek as Janiyah's hand found he back, slowly rubbing it as her other arm was still occupied with Abygale. Fate's words rung in her ears and a couple of tears started to roll down her cheeks.

 _'Would you take care of my little girl for me?'_ She had asked.  
 _'Thank you.'_ She had said.

They were all finally forced to face the reality of what had happened.

 _ **Fate Konno was gone.**_

Yet still, Destiny held Fate's tiny body against his chest and cradled her so tightly, he was afraid that she would shatter just as Jonah had. Her blood was staining him and his tears were staining her. The bullet had ripped through the side of her head, grazing along the side, but it was enough to prevent her heart from continuing to beat. Her wound from Tenroujima had reopened and she was bleeding more from it than the gunshot most likely, but that didn't change anything.

One bullet had ruined his life and his future forever. He was going to ask her a question after it was all over, but now he couldn't because he wouldn't get a response.

He would never hear her laugh or the sound of her voice. He would never get to look into her sapphire blue eyes or run his fingers through her fur after he let her go because he eventually would have to. Those precious moments that he had taken for granted had been ripped away from him.

* * *

How long had passed? 5 minutes maybe… Perhaps 10 or perhaps an hour…

The sun started to rise for the first time since the whole war started, but no one really cared. They were slowly starting to function again as injuries were treated, but no one could leave the scene. It all ended so abruptly and in a way that none of them expected nor wanted.

Destiny was still cradling Fate in her arms and no one had the power to take her from him or at least help him, not even Akina. She didn't know how to communicate with him. There were no more screams, no more sobs and no more tears, but there was immense pain in all of their hearts.

The only people Destiny let touch Fate other than himself or who dared to talk to him were none other than his 3 children: Abygale, Marcy and Micah. It either ended in tears or silence, but Destiny still didn't dare to move and no one else dared to do as he and Fate's kids had.

Not until Olivia sat across from him on Fate's exposed side. It was still bleeding and Olivia really wondered how it could when Fate's heart was no longer pumping and producing blood to be lost. They were silent for a moment before she spoke.

"Hey…" She greeted. Destiny didn't look up, but he swallowed despite probably being dehydrated at that point.

"Hi…" He managed with his voice raspy. It was Olivia's turn to swallow before she sighed a bit.

"I, um…" She started before just letting out an audible sigh. "I'm so sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault, so don't be sorry…" Destiny stated sternly. "Trust me, I wish I could've done something, too…"

"I know…" Olivia groaned a bit, wondering how Destiny was honestly holding up. She wouldn't dare ask though. "Do you think she knew…?" Destiny shrugged a bit.

"She might've understood that this could've happened, but I don't think she intended for it to." He replied. Olivia then noticed how expressionless he was and got slightly scared.

"Um, Destiny… I know you've probably been asked or told, but it's… Well, I think you're in shock." Olivia told him, instantly making his eyes shoot up to look at her with such intensity. "I'm not saying that you have to leave her side or stop holding her, but you should at least let Mira treat you and—"

"I'm not in shock, Edeline." Destiny snapped, making Olivia's eyes widen. He had _**never**_ used her last name and rarely snapped at people. "Try telling that to my kids, I dare you. They had to witness their Mother get murdered and I'm not about to just give up and leave them alone."

"Destiny that was _**not**_ what I meant…" Olivia sighed, terrified of how he was acting. "Shock isn't always being cut off from the world. It can be because of how you choose to accept whatever threw you in or—"

"Shut up!" Destiny yelled, gaining attention from some of the others around them as Olivia jumped a bit. "You don't know anything about me…" He hissed, making Olivia freeze before she nodded.

"You're right." She stated bitterly before getting to her feet. "I'm sorry."

However, before Olivia could take another step, a loud gasp filled their ears and the ears of everyone around them, causing them to all snap their heads down at Fate, who was blinking and gasping before she suddenly started to cough, trying to sit up so she could get out the blood building in her throat.

Destiny instantly helped her sit up with Olivia supporting Fate's other side, watching in pure disbelief as the gray Exceed coughed out blood. When she stopped, she stared at the ground before looking up and around her, her eyes finally landing on Destiny, whose eyes were the first to start filling with tears.

"Wh-… What happened…?" She asked with a rough voice, blood still slightly building up.

She didn't have time to register anything as Destiny pulled her into him harshly, holding her so tightly that she couldn't breathe and when she started to gasp, he loosened his grip and she sighed in relief and confusion before getting permission from him to pull back, looking around again before waves of pain started to hit her.

One of her hands flew to her side and the other flew to the reopened wound on her forehead as she hissed in pain, unsure of why the others were either gathering around or falling the ground in tears. Destiny was even crying, but he wasn't sobbing although he looked as if he should've been.

"What happened, why is no one telling me what happened?" Fate questioned, looking over at Olivia who had tears in her eyes.

"It's over…" She replied softly. "Lucifera is dead and most of the Seekers ran. Some of them stayed, but that's because they're turning themselves in for what they've done or turning over a new leaf."

Fate still didn't understand all the tears and after a couple of moments, Olivia's voice was audible again. The news made her eyes widen in shock.

"You and Lucifera fired your guns at the same time. You hit her and she hit you. We thought that _**both**_ of you were dead." Olivia explained before Mira added in something.

"I think that when the bullet hit, nonetheless reopened your wound, you went into shock and went unconscious at the same time. The shock could also just be from everything that's happened." Mira explained, gaining a nod from Fate, who turned to Destiny again.

Instead of apologizing or anything of the sort, she seemed to smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her straight afterwards, being careful of her injuries as he held her and she held him.

"I told you to keep in mind for the end of this war that I love you…" She whispered, making him chuckle a bit through his tears. "If I need you with me, then it's obvious that you need me with you, too."

He nodded softly before the nodding became frantic and he broke down sobbing before she pulled back a bit, pressing a quick, soft kiss to his lips before carefully resting her forehead against his.

"I love you…" He sobbed, making her smile as tears clouded her eyes.

"I love you, too… I'm never going to leave, okay? I'm too stubborn for that." She stated, making him chuckle a bit more that time.

 _ **"I know."**_


	74. No Regrets

"How much do you remember?"

Fate winced as Mira examined the wound on her side. Her side had been blasted away yet with her regenerating power, she had managed to regenerate the lost side. However, it was still a nasty wound. It was an almost purplish-black and it was not only sore, but somehow tender and it hurt like a bitch. The bruises along her ribs didn't help, but they were lighter and her ribs had only been broken, not basically disintegrated.

"Um… I remember stabbed Lucifera and then we both reached for our guns… I remember pulling the trigger, but after that it's just a black as my side. Perhaps darker…"

"Well, I don't think it really matters. All that matters is that you're alive and as healthy as possible." Mira stated with a giggle before sighing. "I don't think it'll heal for a long time, Fate. Your side, unfortunately, might be like that forever. Anything could heal in any order. The pain could heal or the bruising or something else, but I think it's kind of like your forehead. Well, the part of it from Tenroujima, at least…"

Fate nodded before letting out a sigh of her own.

"It was to be expected…" She stated, making Mira frown, but she changed the subject. "'No one knows what happened to Callias?"

Mira shook her head and gave Fate a look of sympathy when she really didn't need to.

"He broke down when we thought you had died, but he disappeared soon after you… well, "came back to life"." Mira explained before noticing how down Fate looked, so she changed the subject again. "Things are being taken care of pretty quickly, honestly. The Seekers have mostly just disappeared and we'll be able to clean up for this pretty soon. There are scars on our hearts, but… We'll be okay."

Fate nodded a bit before suddenly stretching, being careful not the pull anything too much, and smiling up at Mira.

"Ellena woke up from her little coma a couple of hours ago and she, Jered and Janiyah are joining the Guild, right?" Fate asked, gaining a nod in reply before there was a short pause. "Hey, Mira…?"

"Yes, Fate?" Mira asked.

"Would you mind asking Abygale, Marcy and Micah if they would like to officially join the Guild? I know that they're young and may have different choices when they're older, but—"

"Of course I will."

"… Thanks."

* * *

Fate wished she could say that she had reacted the worse to Tristan's death since she had been there. She wished she could say that she was the one who had the most tears, most regret, and most devastation.

Only, she was wrong.

By the time they had all reached the Guild—breathless, bloody, and yet relieved—there was nothing she dreaded more than seeing the look on Peter and Sage's faces when they realized that their brother was dead. The boy who took care of them and became their closest friend besides each other, and encouraged them to never give up, was gone.

So, leaving other healers to work on the injured after Mira healed her, she moved into the backroom in search of Peter and Sage, or at least one of them. Pushing the door open, Fate was welcomed with the sight of Peter running his hands through Sage's fur as she slept peacefully. He looked up in surprise.

"What's going on out there?" He asked before looking up and down her. "You look like shit…"

He was talking, but his voice already sounded like an echo. It felt as if Fate was underwater and she wanted nothing more than to leave that room and never go back. Peter looked so innocent, and she wasn't going to get started on Sage, and she knew that they deserved to know what happened… But they didn't deserve the mere brutality that they had lost a very important person to them. They didn't need the extra pain.

Fate had hidden Tristan's pistol under her torn tank top so Peter wouldn't guess what happened right away. She could barely keep herself standing with all of her injuries, but the weight of losing 3 close members of the Guild was pushing her down even further.

"Um…" She pursed her lips. "Ruri got hurt."

"Is she okay?" Peter questioned.

"Yah, I think so." She answered. "She was… shot."

"Shot? How?" He asked. Fate's heart was pounding deeply in her chest and she looked down at the ground. She had to look anywhere but at Peter's face. She couldn't imagine his expression.

"H-… Ending the war…" She mumbled. Peter's face lit up a bit.

"So it's over?" He asked hopefully. Fate nodded, but held up a hand. That's when his face fell back to how it was before.

She no longer had a choice. It was time to plunge the knife into Peter's heart so later; he could turn the blade in Sage's. Tears were stinging her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Fate couldn't cry anymore.

She let out a breath she didn't know that she was holding and her knees were trembling underneath her. Slowly, she crossed over to the bed that the remaining Keynes' were sitting on and climbed onto it, letting herself sit as close as she could to Peter without getting close enough for him to feel that she was shaking.

"Some-… Some people were killed, Peter." She mumbled.

"Well, obviously… It's a war, that's what happens… I mean, look at you, you almost did. We all thought you did." He stated. She nodded a little bit.

"We lost James and Tanner…" She started before feeling all the air leave her lungs. "And we lost Tristan. He got touched by a Hebi and I couldn't save him, so he asked me to shoot him. He didn't want to become a Hebi and I understand why, so he's dead. I'm sorry."

Her words came out slightly rushed and fairly blunt even if she hadn't meant for them to. Automatically, Peter's face completely fell and she could practically see him closing off from the world. She could feel the heat of fury drifting off of him.

"So you listened to him and you killed him…?" He asked. His voice was tight and he was struggling to process it all. Fate gritted her teeth together and took in a deep breath.

"He said that he wasn't going to kill himself and he refused to become a Hebi… How could I go against his wishes, Peter? I'm sorry…"

Peter's shoulders were trembling and Fate could already see the tears building up in his eyes. He rocked back and forth slightly, trapping his bottom lip between his teeth and then out of nowhere, he let out a scream of agony and with what little might he had left, Peter grabbed a heavy pillow and threw it across the room. Fate flinched at the sound it made as it made contact with the door.

"He's _**dead**_?!" He demanded. "Why? What did he do?! He didn't do anything!"

"I'm sorry…" Fate whispered again. Peter was crying now, not worrying about waking Sage or not.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" He screamed. "He didn't deserve to die! Why would you shoot him even if he wanted that?! _**He loved you, Fate**_!"

"I know." Fate stated with a small nod. She knew everything Peter was screaming about. She knew.

Peter buried his face in his hands and sobbed, loud and ear-piercing. Staring at his small, slumped figure, Fate couldn't help but let a single tear drift softly down her own cheek. She batted it away before it could reach her chin.

She reached to the side and wrapped her arms tightly around Peter's torso, crushing his body to hers regardless of whether he hated her in that moment or not. Leaning her head atop his, Fate buried her lips in his black fur and closed her eyes to prevent any more tears from falling. At her touch, Peter turned towards her and wrapped his own arms gently around her injured body, each of them acting as a shield for the other.

And so, Fate sat there in silence, holding Peter as he cried, struggling to keep her own tears at bay when all she truly wanted to do was fall apart herself. Or maybe, she had already done that.

* * *

Fate had thought she'd be relieved to go back home, but her heart stopped when she realized that she wouldn't be with some of the others. Not even in the same home. When the others realized, they decided to all come together in the living room as if they were camping. It wasn't only for her as many of them were anxious about separating from some of the others and Lucy understood that, so she offered her living room.

However, in the middle of the night, Fate felt suffocated by being surrounded by everyone else and got up to go sleep in her and Ethan's room that was now kind of belonged to Destiny, Abygale, Marcy and Micah as well. She couldn't lie down though. She couldn't think of sleeping. She could only stand and stare at the wall that was now in front of her because she had turned away from her little shared bed.

Fate suddenly heard footsteps and she didn't have to turn around to know that it was Destiny.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly. Fate kept staring at the wall when she suddenly felt hands on her waist and she was turned around slowly to meet the hazel green eyes of Destiny's. "Hey. Talk to me…"

She kept averting her eyes from his and stared at the ground when she talked.

"He's gone…" Fate whispered. "I watched my friend… I put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger even after he told me that he loved me. Even if I didn't love him back in the same way, how could I do that…?"

"He was touched, Fate, and he didn't want to turn or do it himself…" Destiny mumbled. "There was nothing any of us could've done."

"It should've been me…" Fate mumbled.

"Stop that." He said sternly.

"It's true." She whispered, her lip beginning to quiver as she tried to hold tears back. "Tristan fought so hard to keep everything together. It's my fault that he died. He should be here. He should be alive! I should be the one with roots on my arm and a bullet in my head. Hell, I almost died from a bullet to my head anyways…"

"Enough of that, Fate…" Destiny said before holding his arms out to her. "Come here."

Fate tried to put distance between them instead, but Destiny just pulled her firmly into his chest. Instantly, she felt relaxed in his embrace and she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder while he gently stroked her fur.

"You can't blame yourself." He said in her ear.

"It's not fair." Fate insisted, listening to her voice crack. "He didn't deserve to die!"

"A lot of people don't deserve to die. But it just happens. Everyone's time runs out and during this war, James, Tan- Aubree's and Tristan's did. I hate to say it, but all of our times are going to run out. We're all going to die at some point; best thing we can do is hold it off as long as we can."

"What if I don't want to hold it off anymore?" Fate whispered as she gave Destiny a look of weakness. Destiny sighed.

"What is it going to take to get it through your head that you're not leaving me?" He asked. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to leave me or the others. We've fought too hard to get to where we are to just give up. You're not a quitter, Fate. Neither of us are. We fight and we don't give up. If I had lost you, I don't know what I'd do. Akina, Cass and you are the reasons I'm still here. All 3 of you saved me when I couldn't save myself." Destiny then reached up to caress her face in his hands. "You're not leaving me, Fate. I won't have it."

Destiny was staring at Fate with such intensity that she knew she couldn't leave him. She couldn't block the world out anymore. She sighed and reached up to wrap her arms tightly around his neck, pulling him closer to her until they were pressed chest-to-chest.

"I'm not going to leave you." Fate said. "I promise."

Destiny smiled and then bent down, pressing his lips to hers. At first, it was soft and innocent with his lips warm against her own, but with each kiss, Fate began to crave more. She _**needed**_ more. Destiny's hands gripped her waist tightly and slowly, he began to overpower her and they took small steps backwards until Fate's back was pressed up against the wall. Destiny's hands left her waist and placed them at the sides of her head, trapping Fate in a cage of his making.

His lips never left hers and each kiss became more passionate and her fingers fumbled with his finding his flannel and when she found it, she pushed it from his shoulders before her hands found the hem of his shirt, pulling that off soon after.

They broke apart briefly and Destiny helped her remove her own flannel and her tank top, being careful not to accidentally hit any of her wounds along the way. She was left in her bra before Destiny was back, trapping her against the wall again. His lips touched hers and then trailed to her jaw and down to her collarbone before back up to her lips again.

Destiny then leaned down slightly, gripping her thighs in his hands and hoisting her off the ground, his lips never leaving hers in the process and Fate wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. Her fingers traced the of his bare back while his traced her flat abdomen gently, avoiding the bruises along her ribs, her big wound on her right under her ribs, and the still healing wounds from the C-Section.

Then, they broke apart, taking in much needed oxygen with their foreheads pressed together. Destiny then took a deep breath, the warm air hitting her face, and he glanced behind them towards the small little bed that they shared before back to her as he knew where this was going. As did she, and her stomach began to twist up into nervous little knots. Destiny kissed her one more time.

"Do you want to do this?" He asked very softly, almost in a whisper. "We don't hav—"

"Yes." Fate whispered in response as she cut him off, a small, reassuring smile spreading over her lips. Destiny's lips turned upwards into his usual grin and he placed her back onto the ground, resting a hand over one of his pockets.

"But first…" he mumbled, confusing her a bit. "I forgot to tell you that I had a question for you once the war ended… but watching you fight like Hell during all of those fights, seeing the same fire in your eyes that you had the very first day I met you, and watching that fire disappear before returning so unexpectedly… I can't live without seeing that fire. I can't stand to lose you. I'm not going to lose you."

Suddenly, Destiny reached into the pocket that his hand had been over and pulled out none other than a tiny, silver ring. It wasn't flashy, but the sun could certainly reflect off of it if it ever got the chance. Fate's breath caught in her throat and she instantly stood up straight, staring incredulously at Destiny.

"What are you doing…?" She demanded shakily. Destiny just smiled down at the ring before he glanced up to Fate again.

"Fate, you're my closest friend." He told her. "And sometimes, you're the most goddamn annoying person to be around and I want nothing to do with you, but then… Sometimes, you're the only person I want. I love you in each and every possible way there is and I want to find even more ways to show you that I love you. I know I can't give you the life you deserve and I can't promise to fix all of your problems, but I can promise that you will _**never, ever**_ have to face them alone."

"Des—" Fate tried on again, tears forming in her eyes as he continued to speak.

"Maybe I'm rushing into this, but I don't care." He declared firmly. "Maybe I'm just scared because you mean more to me than any other person in this world. You, Fate, are everything I think about, everything I need, and everything I could ever want. I can't help that I love you. I want to marry you. And if you're worried about what you're family may think, then you don't have to. I asked them if I could before I even laid my sights this ring. And we don't have to have a wedding; that doesn't sound like us anyways. We never know what day will be our last, but I want you to know that each and every day, I will love you more than the one before."

There was a moment of silence and Destiny pinched the bridge of his nose, which he did when he was stressed.

"So… God, I feel so awkward asking this… I never thought I would, but… Fate, will you marry me?"

Fate stared down at the ring, unaware that even though her mouth was open, she couldn't get a response out because her throat had closed up. Destiny laughed lightly at her and she just bit her lip in embarrassment. Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes…" Fate breathed. "I will marry you, Destiny."

Then, without hesitation, Destiny wrapped his fingers in her fur and brought her face to his, their lips crashing together. She wound her arms around his neck while his rested at her hips and then he finally pulled back. Fate held her left hand out and Destiny very delicately slid the ring onto her finger where it fit perfectly. She smiled down at it before glancing back up to Destiny.

"It's beautiful." She breathed. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh, you know, just off the ground in the streets of Magnolia." Destiny joked, making Fate let out a laugh as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"What a charmer…" She replied sarcastically. Destiny gently grabbed her chin, making her look up at him.

"I believe that we were doing something…" He whispered, grabbing her thighs and lifting her up again, putting them back into their position from before. It made Fate giggle a little bit.

Destiny readjusted his hold on her and cradled her in his arms, pulling her off of the wall. He pressed his lips to hers once more, taking her to the bed and gently placing her down on her back, being extra careful not to hurt her in any way. His lips found hers once again before he pulled away; just enjoying the feeling of being there with the girl he loved in his arms, their foreheads rested against each other with their eyes closed.

"No regrets…?" He asked softly.

There was a small moment of silence before he felt Fate nodding a little bit.

 _ **"No regrets…"**_

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it everyone... This was the end of Stay, but I guess that it's also the start of No Regrets.**

 **So I hope you enjoyed and you look forward to the 3rd book~! :3**


End file.
